I Know He Watches Me Part One
by Scooplet
Summary: As Sarah and Matt begin their life together, the new season of their lives becomes bittersweet as they (and her family) must adapt to the rigors and challenges of Sarah's new job. Lee and Amanda struggle with the fine balance of supporting their daughter and desiring to protect her as she follows in their footsteps.
1. Chapter 1

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

_Note on this story:_ many of you reading my alternative universe stories of Sarah, Matt, and the rest of the Stetson family will note that the focus is more on Sarah and Matt than on Lee, Amanda, and the rest of the characters I feature from _Scarecrow and Mrs. King_. I appreciate your kind words of encouragement as I have carried them all through this story arc. As you read through this three-part tale, you'll note this story moves even further away from Lee and Amanda's story. After all, it fits with the natural progression of Sarah's character (as well as the natural progression of Lee's and Amanda's characters). Additionally, my goal in writing this was to try my hand at fiction writing. I took a two-year break from this story arc to begin work on my ultimate goal: a story that is of my own creation (something you won't find at ). Partway through, however, I found I missed Sarah and Matt and wished to take them further on their journey. So, I began work on _I Know He Watches Me_ and one year later, here it is—parts two and three will be published in the next month or so. As always, I'm grateful for your support and encouragement. Blessings to you!

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I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter One

_I sing because I'm happy,_

_I sing because I'm free_

_For His eye is on the sparrow,_

_And I know He watches me._

-From "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Civilla D. Martin

_January 2012_

He hated waiting for checked baggage.

There was no telling how long his suitcases would take to arrive on the carousel—but he had special items that could not have been carried onboard the aircraft. A private jet was not an option. It was essential he appear to be a normal traveler. And he did have a car waiting. The others would have to drag their skis and bags all the way to the car rental counter before they could get to their rides. That would give him a head start.

Once he had his bags and was seated in the car, he was pleased to see that the driver was someone he had worked with before. Not bad for a spur-of-the-moment arrangement. This driver was professional enough to speak only when necessary and give him the space he needed to think. There would be others who would distract him soon enough.

After waiting in a parking lot for forty-five minutes his phone buzzed. This was a critical call. "Subjects spotted entering the toll road near the car rental facilities. Driving American-made SUV. Heading west."

They no longer had to rely on the cameras to guide them. His people knew what car they were driving. Now they just needed to confirm the destination. "Could you read their mouths on the cameras? Did they talk with the agent? Where are they headed?"

"Still no information on that, sir." There was hesitation in his contact's voice.

"You have something to say." It was a statement. This contact was perhaps the smartest and most reliable he had worked with—he had requested her—so he wanted to know what she was thinking.

"Do you not think it odd, sir, that the subject has managed to hide his destination from us? Usually these Americans tell their friends, use Google for researching their travel plans, that sort of thing. He has managed to stay completely under the radar. I'd venture to say he's being purposeful."

"You have spent time enough in the U.S. You have heard about American weddings and those trips—honeymoons—they take. You must know that Americans often don't tell people where they are going after the wedding." He did not understand the need for privacy in a culture where the people displayed their entire lives on social media sites. It was a contradiction he could not fathom. But then this subject was under the radar on social media as well. It was one of the reasons why they had chosen him and his friend. Both men were not visible.

"I acknowledge that while his lack of visibility is an asset, it does make him suspect. We will have to press him and see how he responds. If he is an operative, we will know right away."

"We have our snipers ready for deployment."

His brow furrowed. He wanted to think he was not so ruthless as to kill a man on his honeymoon. Or kill a newly married couple. That was distasteful to him. He had grown to respect the subject's principles. While they were still gaining intelligence on his wife, she seemed above reproach as well. At least for an American woman. He liked to think that he was a fair man. She had not grown up in the same culture as his wives. And she was quite lovely.

"I am hoping they will not be necessary. I have another plan in mind." No, he was not a machine. As long as they did not know of his real identity, they would be spared. "Just make sure they do not see you. If he is intelligence, it could jeopardize our operation."

"No one is following them except us. And we are relying on cameras, so they cannot see us."

"Very good. Contact me when you know more." He leaned back in his seat and relaxed, grateful for the driver.

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A dream fading into the recesses of her memory, Sarah Stetson gradually attuned to her surroundings. With her eyes still closed, she became aware of the smooth, cool sheets beneath her. At some point she had turned on her stomach in her sleep, one hand under her pillow and the other by her side. She reached out with that hand for Matt…

Finding the bed beside her empty, her mind cleared. She was Sarah Granger now, and her husband, Matt Granger, who had definitely been in bed with her earlier that morning, was somewhere else in the condominium they had rented for the week in Winter Park, Colorado.

The lofty ceiling of the bedroom allowed two levels of windows to dominate one wall. While the shutters were closed on the lower windows, muted morning light coming through the upper windows revealed snow falling outside.

From downstairs, perhaps the kitchen, came the sound of metal clinking lightly on porcelain. _Matt is probably eating a bowl of cereal_. Her stomach growled at the thought, but she was distracted as an image of her husband flashed across her mind.

It was their wedding night, and she was watching him join her on the bed in her parents' cabin. He was telling her something about how beautiful she was, but the pleasurable sensation of his caresses in places where no one had ever touched her before made it hard to concentrate on his words. The gentleness of his hands, shaking a little, had eased her shyness. He was beautiful, too, and vaguely she remembered telling him so. But she had been caught up in the wonder of the moment and could not be certain what she had said. Then he had worried that he was hurting her, but at the end the momentary discomfort had been forgotten. Afterwards they had lain in each other's arms, too overwhelmed by their new intimacy to speak.

The next day they had traveled to Colorado—catching a plane to Denver and then making the drive into the mountains in their rented SUV. About an hour from Winter Park, Matt had pulled off the highway.

Dozing lightly in the warm car, Sarah was suddenly wide awake. "Why are we stopping?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm starved, and this restaurant is an old family favorite. Is that okay?" Matt's tone was somewhat apologetic.

Sarah wondered if he was still concerned about pleasing her. She determined to set his mind at ease. "I love going to 'old family favorites.' You know that."

Perhaps a little relieved, Matt grinned in response. "My dad's parents took him here when he was a kid, and my dad took our family here every time we went skiing over the years."

"Sounds like fun. You're the tour guide. And come to think of it, I'm hungry, too."

The steaks and baked potatoes at the Mountain Top Inn had been delicious, but the travel-weary Sarah had been relieved to see the signs for Winter Park. However, they had agreed ahead of time to drive up the road to the grocery store and stock up on food before going to the condominium. This morning Sarah was glad they had made the extra effort, as now Matt had been able to eat breakfast. It must be late, she thought as she glanced up at the windows again. She began to feel guilty for lounging the day away.

Throwing back the covers, Sarah scrambled from the bed and made her way to the bathroom.

Having braided her long dark hair and dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms, she was brushing her teeth when out of the corner of her eye she saw a pile of clothes—both hers and Matt's—land with a thump on top of their large suitcase. Then Matt appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." He grinned at her, the smile reaching his eyes as it always did when he was genuinely happy.

Sarah spit and rinsed her mouth, watching Matt in the mirror as she dried her face. He seemed more at ease than she had ever seen him. He leaned against the doorjamb, his dark blond hair shining golden under the recessed lights. His day-old beard, something she had rarely seen on Matt, was light-colored, too.

Realizing she was staring, Sarah spoke belatedly. "Good morning. I'm sorry I slept so long."

He took the extra few steps to the sink and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Don't be sorry. I'm glad you got the chance to rest."

Leaning back against Matt now, Sarah sighed happily. "It does feel nice to have slept in for a change." Looking at their reflection in the mirror, Sarah thought she did not seem as thin as she had a week or two earlier. It did not help that Sarah was tall—she always had felt that exaggerated her slim figure. Matt, who was several inches taller than she was and rather muscular, had never seemed to mind her height. She imagined it was because his mother and sisters were tall. He only complained about her slim figure if she lost weight. In fact, he had said a lot of nice things about her figure over the last two days.

Matt's slight movement brought Sarah back to the present. He glanced over at the clothes. "We were kind of busy when we got here last night. Your husband insisted on keeping you up late." Grinning, he stared back at her in the mirror, his eyes twinkling.

"As I recall, after you carried me and our luggage inside, we barely got the groceries in the fridge before…" Sarah did not have the nerve to finish her sentence.

"I made you stand in the foyer while I swept the place for surveillance equipment and bugs. That was romantic." He offered her a sheepish grin.

"Trust me. I'm used to it," she rejoined, her expression sardonic. "One of my parents did that every time we entered a hotel room when I was a kid." Her eyes locked with his. "And you weren't the only one who wasn't sleepy last night."

"You were merely helping me out of all of those extra clothes. It was warm in here." He squeezed his arms tighter around her and bent his head to kiss her shoulder. "And you were so irresistible."

Sarah blushed at the memory of the two of them as they had made their way upstairs the night before. While he had been nervous the first time, Matt seemed to be rapidly gaining confidence when it came to their lovemaking. "You couldn't help waking up at your usual time, even though it was still dark here."

"It was nice that you were very much awake, too," he murmured against her neck. Sarah was about to agree with him, but her stomach growled and he pulled back. "I'm being selfish. It's after nine a.m. and you haven't eaten anything since dinner last night." He took her hand. "Let's go downstairs. You can eat some cereal while I make us smoothies. I've already got everything ready to go."

"Wait." Sarah pulled away and reached for the prescription on the bathroom counter. Matt seemed to accept the concept of birth control without embarrassment, but Sarah was still not used to the idea of needing it. She blushed and offered Matt a crooked smile before removing one of the pills from the package and swallowing it. She cupped her hand under the sink and brought a little water to her mouth.

Matt grimaced as he watched. "I don't know how you can swallow those so easily."

"They're small. No big deal." Grabbing a sweatshirt and stepping into her slippers, Sarah followed Matt from the room and down the stairs. "What are we going to do today? I was hoping to look around the town a little."

"It's supposed to stop snowing soon. I thought it might be fun to go for a short hike on the trail behind us here."

In the kitchen now, Sarah gave a little clap. "Oh, I'd love that." She peered out the windows to the mountain scene behind their condominium. The clouds were already lifting, no longer obscuring their view of the peaks. "It's so beautiful. I love how the mountains look with the snow falling on them. Kind of misty and mysterious."

His eyes followed hers. "They are beautiful. We picked a good day to stay off the slopes. The snow will stop down here first." He squeezed her shoulders and kissed her hair before going to the refrigerator to get the ingredients for their breakfast.

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Leaning back in his office chair, Lee Stetson stretched his long legs and sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his silver hair.

"Making any progress?" Amanda Stetson stood in the doorway of their shared office, two coffee mugs in her hands.

"I wish I could say yes." He stood up to take the mugs from her. After placing them on the desk, he wrapped his arms around his wife and rested his chin on her hair. His voice was contemplative. "What do you suppose Sarah and Matt are doing today? The weather report said it was snowing there."

"Really? You're checking the weather report? And do you really want the answer to that question, Scarecrow? It's their honeymoon. You know what people do on their honeymoon." She tried to pull away, but he held her close.

"Refresh my memory." He bent to kiss her on the lips, but after one kiss she managed to push away. "Hey!" He frowned. "Why the cold shoulder?"

"Because you and I have work to do. We have a deadline, mister." Her tone softened. "And I kissed you back. That's hardly the cold shoulder."

Lee offered her a saucy grin as Amanda took a seat at the extra desk they had managed to fit into the office. It was a little crowded, but they were glad to be able to close the door on their work at the end of the day. Lee had wanted to move their consulting business into the apartment above the garage, but Sarah had just moved out and the rooms continued to hold memories of Dotty.

Still grieving her mother at the second anniversary of her death last spring, Amanda had not been willing to make changes to her apartment when Lee had broached the issue. Then Sarah had moved into the apartment in May. Eight months later Sarah's wedding had been a cause for celebration in the family, but it had still been bittersweet for Lee and Amanda. The baby of the family was a married woman now, perhaps having children of her own in a few years. Lee knew Amanda needed time to adjust to the changes in their lives.

Already busy going over their notes at her desk, Amanda spoke without looking up. "Lee, did you know that our client had connections at the University of Virginia?"

He looked up, curiosity in his eyes. "Sure. Advanced Systems consults with UVa from time to time. A lot of tech companies do. Why?"

Amanda looked off into space, fiddling with her pencil. "Well, I seem to remember that Matt was spending time at UVa in December."

Lee's gaze narrowed. "I think that was need to know. We're no longer need to know."

"He mentioned it casually. Sarah knows about it, too. He never said what he was doing there. But he has an engineering degree."

He sat back in his chair, considering her words. "Why are you making this connection?"

"AST is concerned about security issues, right? They hired us because they are eager to get clearance with the DOD. If there is something going on at UVa and AST is connected in any way, even by association, it could mean trouble."

"I could call Francine, but I doubt she'd tell me anything. We could nose around on our own."

Amanda sat up straight. "And possibly compromise an operation. Not only might that endanger operatives, such as our son-in-law, but it might give our reputation a black eye."

Lee scrunched up his nose. "You're right."

"It's a different world out there, anyway. Our old style of getting things done won't work anymore."

"But we do know how to use our resources. We have Phillip's buddy Ralph." He frowned. "Although I wish we could use Phillip or Emily Farnsworth, instead of a civilian who doesn't have their training."

"Emily?"

"Well, not Emily, but her team. Tristan and Margaret have people who can ferret out information."

"You know we can't ask them or Phillip. They aren't allowed to help us." Amanda grew thoughtful. "Speaking of Emily… Lee, did she look well to you at the wedding?"

Lee's face clouded. "I was just thinking about that. She seemed fine until after dinner. Did you notice, too? She seemed to need help walking out—more than usual."

"Perhaps we should check on her."

"We should." Lee scooted back in his chair, playing with his phone before making the call. "You know, Amanda, we need an IT person. Phillip's buddy Ralph has been great, but he's not always available."

"He was available last week and we weren't. We had a wedding."

"A full-time IT person is what I'm thinking about."

"Lee, we're not ready for that. It's going to be at least a year before we could pay someone enough to work full-time."

Lee sighed. "You're right. I know it. But maybe we could plan to hire someone."

"Okay. That's a good idea. When the time comes, we can ask Phillip and Jamie if they have any recommendations." She focused back on the report in front of her, absent-mindedly winding her shoulder-length dark hair into a bun and fastening it with a hairband from her desk. "After we call the Bates and check on Emily."

Rolling his eyes, Lee picked up his cell phone. "I'll do it. I'll do it." He blew her a kiss to ease the tension and focused on making the call.

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Settling back in the chairlift, Matt shifted a little closer to Sarah and placed an arm over her shoulders. She turned to him for a kiss and leaned against him. He smiled at the gesture.

"This is the most relaxed I've ever seen you, Sarah." He gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"That's because you've been easy on me."

"I wasn't talking about the skiing. But while we're on the subject, I think you're ready for a mogul run."

"This is only our first day on the slopes. And I knew what you meant." She sighed. "I'm enjoying being with you. It's the longest we've been alone together—really alone—since we've met."

"It's going to be hard going back." He squeezed her shoulders again. "But we won't think about that. How about a sandwich up at the top? The sun is out, the wind isn't bad, and it's not too cold. We can call your folks from up there before we take the next run."

Sarah leaned away a little and craned her neck to look at Matt. "Why do you want to call my folks?"

He shrugged. "I thought you might want to, since it's Tuesday already. We don't have to call anyone."

"I love my parents, Mr. Granger. But I'm alone with my husband on our honeymoon. My mom doesn't expect us to call and my dad doesn't need the encouragement to worry about us."

Offering her an indulgent smile, he intoned, "As you wish."

She laughed. "Oh, please don't start up with that again. We should never have watched that DVD yesterday evening. You know as many quotes from that movie as Phillip does."

"I like that movie. It was one of the few movies I actually enjoyed watching with my sisters. And it gave you and me something else to do besides…"

Sarah did not give Matt a chance to finish his sentence. "…that was a wonderful hike yesterday, wasn't it? And the dinner at the German restaurant last night was very good."

Chuckling, Matt kissed the top of Sarah's head. "I'd bet money you're blushing under that scarf. We're on a ski lift, Sarah. No one can hear us."

"I just feel funny talking about it." Her voice was so soft Matt had to strain to hear her. "But don't think I'm not enjoying it. I love you. You are amazing."

"I love you, too. More than ever." After kissing her on the lips this time, Matt sat up straight and scooted over a few inches. "Here we are."

"That was a long lift."

"It is a long one. But it seemed to go quickly with you next to me." He winked at her just as they skied away from the chair.

An hour later they were poised at the top of a run. The crowds had been light that day, and this run was especially empty. Matt ran his skis up alongside Sarah's and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now don't stand there thinking about it. Just go for it. Take one mogul at a time and don't worry about how far down you have to go or how far you've come. I know you can do this."

Sarah was not sure why she had let Matt talk her into the mogul run. She could barely make it down the black diamond slopes that did not have moguls, and that had been at an easy pace. But since she had met him, she had perfected some of her martial arts skills, built up her upper body strength, and gained self-confidence. Matt was, for all intents and purposes, her self-designated personal trainer. He had not led her astray yet. Besides, she wanted to have something to boast about at the bottom of the hill. Matt had already proven he was the better skier on more than one run. Letting her competitive side take over, Sarah pushed off with her poles and tackled the first mogul, turning into the next one immediately after.

Vaguely aware of Matt's encouraging calls from somewhere on the slope, Sarah was halfway down the run when she stopped to rest. Despite her daily running regimen, the muscles in her thighs were burning. Glancing around for Matt, she spotted him near the edge of the hill, watching her. Just as she was about to push off again, another skier caught her eye. It was a man in nondescript dark ski attire, who had paused halfway down the run next to theirs. He seemed to be watching Matt until he saw her looking in his direction. Then he skied past the trees and was out of sight.

Matt caught her attention once again. "Come on, hon," he called. "You're halfway there."

"I've got it," she shouted back. Sarah pushed off again, not stopping until she had reached the bottom of the slope. Weary, she leaned on her poles and gazed back up at the hill.

"You did it!" Matt joined her, carefully aligning his skis next to hers so he could give her a hug. Pulling away, he searched her face. "I'm thinking the Jacuzzi sounds good right now. Ready to head back to the condo after we hit the bottom of the mountain?"

"I'm thinking you'll always think the Jacuzzi sounds good." Sarah smirked.

Matt pretended to be offended. "Hey. I was just worried about you having sore muscles. We've been skiing for hours. And I happen to like that Jacuzzi." His eyes twinkled. "Besides, it's nice and private."

She raised her eyebrows but did not respond to the Jacuzzi comment. "Actually, I remember there being a lift just down the hill from here. Could we ride that lift and then head down to the bottom of the mountain from there? It seems a little early to go back."

"As you wish." He chuckled as Sarah rolled her eyes, and then pushed back with his poles. "To tell you the truth, I was hoping we could do that. There are some nice runs over there." He looked at her sharply. "As long as you aren't too tired. They are kind of fast."

"I'm game if you are. If we drive up to Lake Granby one day this week, we'll only have a day or two more to ski. Let's make the most of it."

"Let's do it, then. But we should take the beginner slope to the lift. Sit back a little on your skis and let your legs recover from the moguls."

"Yes, sir." With that, Sarah pushed off and headed down the slope at an easy pace.

A half an hour later they were at the top of the other chair lift. As Matt bent to check his bindings, Sarah noticed a man who appeared to be the same one who was watching Matt earlier. She pretended not to notice him and leaned down to brush imaginary snow off of Matt's back.

Turning her head slightly so the man could not see her lips moving, she spoke quietly. "Matt. Have you seen a guy in a dark bib and jacket following us?"

"Honey, there are a lot of men in dark ski jackets here."

"I know. But I saw him watching you earlier. And I just saw him again."

Matt stood up and gently took her arm. "We've had a lot to worry about in the last year. I was hoping we could keep our minds off of that sort of thing this week. You were so relaxed earlier. Don't forget that men are always going to stare at you. You're a beautiful woman."

"But Matt, he was staring at you," Sarah protested.

"Maybe he knows me from somewhere." He leaned in and touched his lips to hers. "Try not to worry, sweetie. Let's enjoy this last run. I'll keep my eyes peeled." His eyes twinkled at her. "I have to admit I've been watching you all day, not the men."

Sarah knew Matt was right. Except for the mogul run, she too had only had eyes for Matt that day. They both felt as if they had just fallen in love all over again. She did not want to spoil that honeymoon mood with unnecessary worrying. Soon they were making their way down a ski run, passing each other as they turned back and forth down the hill.

At the end of that run, Sarah spotted a smooth slope to their left. She was feeling confident and in the mood for a little speed. She raised her voice a little to get Matt's attention. "You up for a race?"

His eyebrows lifted. "Sure." He skied up alongside her. "If I win…" He looked from side to side and whispered in her ear, delighting in seeing her blush as he pulled away.

Two can play that game, she reasoned. "You've got it, Mr. Granger. And if I win…" She leaned in to whisper her reply.

He raised his eyebrows again. "Mrs. Granger, you've got a deal." Laughing, he pushed away with his poles.

They were heading straight down the slope, neck and neck, when Sarah veered to the left to avoid a particularly steep stretch. Matt continued on and pulled out ahead. Knees bent low, Sarah tucked in tight and picked up speed until she was almost abreast of Matt. He glanced over at her before changing his path a moving away a little to the right. Suddenly she was aware of another skier—or was it a snowboarder?—over her right shoulder.

"Sarah! Heads up!" Matt was standing up straight on his skis now, trying to get her attention.

But it was too late. First her skis were clipped from behind, and she felt an arm slam into her upper back as the snowboarder fought for control. Then Sarah's body was hitting the slope hard, flipping over before spinning around on the slow. She finally stopped as her skis, still attached to her boots, ran into the soft snow at the edge of the run.

She lay still for several seconds, too stunned to move as the chill from the snow slowly seeped through her outerwear. Faintly, she heard her name being called, but the shock of the fall prevented her from responding. Her back ached where she had been hit, although the pain was subsiding. Miraculously, her legs did not hurt and she had not blacked out. One pole strap had managed to stay looped around her wrist, but the other pole was missing. Slowly she brought her skis around so they were downhill from her head and she sat up. A light spray of snow cascaded over her as another skier stopped beside her. She hoped it was Matt. She was not crying, but she could feel the sting in her eyes and the ache in the back of her throat as the reality of what had happened began to register.

"You okay? That was quite a fall." A hand reached down to take Sarah's elbow as she struggled to stand on her skis, using the single pole to push herself up.

Sarah found herself looking into the eyes of the same man who had been watching Matt earlier. He had not removed his hand from her arm, and Sarah was uncomfortable with his nearness. He handed her the missing pole that he had somehow retrieved.

"Why don't I ski down the rest of the way with you? You seem shaken up."

"Um, no thank you. I'm okay."

A shout caught her attention. "Sarah! Hold still! I'll be right there."

She looked around to see Matt scrambling up the hill towards her, his skis on his shoulder.

"Well, I don't want to intrude on your friend here. Maybe we could get a drink after this at the lodge? It might steady your nerves. That is if you aren't already busy with your friend this evening."

Sarah was certain the expression in the man's eyes was not one of concern. Was he actually suggesting she ditch Matt and meet him for a drink? With difficulty she attempted to answer politely, but firmly. "I don't think my husband would appreciate that. Thank you for your help." She turned away from the man and pointedly directed her attention to Matt. As Sarah watched her husband struggle up the hill in his ski boots, she felt the man release her arm and move away. She heard the crunch of his skis slicing the snow and saw him continue down the slope out of the corner of her eye.

Soon her husband's arms were around her. "Are you okay?" Matt's voice was rough as he gently lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. "Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Just my back. But it's already feeling better."

Matt's eyes shadowed and his mouth made a flat line. "He was being reckless. The snowboarder who ran into you lost control and forced me off the trail so I couldn't help you. He never looked back. Jerk."

Seeing that her fall had upset Matt more than it had upset her, Sarah sought for a way to distract him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I didn't fall." Matt's expression relaxed, but his eyes still held a pained look. "I was pretty scared. You could have been hurt badly." He ran his gloved hand down her arm. "Thank God you didn't hit your head. What would I tell your dad about that helmet we left in D.C.?"

"That I refused to pack it. I'm a grown woman and I can make my own decisions." Sarah's mouth tipped in a brief smile to soften her response.

Matt kissed her forehead. "You can be feisty when you want to be." He tilted his head to get a better look at her. "You think you can handle skiing the rest of the way down now?"

"I noticed you didn't say anything about the guy who helped me up."

Failing to make eye contact, Matt kept his tone light. "He sure was quick to get to you. But I guess it's nice that people still stop to help strangers."

Sarah was not fooled. She knew Matt was trying to give the stranger the benefit of the doubt, but his heart was not in it. Her eyes met his. "Don't be jealous, my love. I made it clear that I was waiting for my husband to rescue me and he politely skied away."

Sarah thought of mentioning that the man who had stopped to help her was the same one she had seen earlier. She looked down the slope and he was nowhere in sight. Sarah took that as a good sign. Perhaps if she saw him again, she would tell Matt then. He husband was right. Why ruin the mood of their honeymoon? They had been through enough during the last several months. And she wanted to take his mind off of this entire incident. Seeing that he was still troubled, she was nonchalant, determined to convince Matt that she had no lasting effects from her fall. "I'm ready to head down the hill if you are." Sarah adjusted her jacket and goggles. "I was going to win that race, too."

"Honey, we can forget about the wager. I'm just glad you're okay."

She made a face. "That's very gallant of you, but I wanted to win."

Chuckling now, Matt stepped into his skis. "Well, we can pretend you did."

Sarah grinned over at him. "Okay. You've got a deal."


	2. Chapter 2

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Two

"Well, I'd say that was a success, right Jamal?" The young snowboarder took off his helmet and shook his head back and forth to fluff up his blonde, shoulder-length hair.

The flippant remark was met with an icy stare and a cold reply. "Keep your voice down or I will help you keep it down." Jamal paused so his words would sink in. "And it was a near disaster. You were not supposed to hurt the woman. She could have been badly injured."

Avoiding Jamal's gaze, Tommy looked around the small grove of trees where they stood out of sight of the other skiers. "Man, it's not my fault she's a lousy skier."

"Quit making excuses. Her skiing was not the reason she fell so violently. You hit her on the back deliberately." Jamal walked up to Tommy, bringing his face close to his. "She is not our enemy, you fool. This was merely a test for him—for both of them." He went back to his skis, pulling them from the snowbank and throwing them down. "If you continue to have trouble following directions, we will find another use for you." He stepped into his skis. "Stay out of Winter Park until I tell you otherwise. I do not want him to recognize you."

Tommy cringed at the flinty expression on Jamal's face. He had the feeling that "another use" might not include one of those nice transfers into his offshore account.

"I'm beginning to wonder if your dedication to the cause is merely superficial. Perhaps you are having second thoughts?"

"No, sir. I remember the drill."

"That is the first intelligent thing I've heard you say today. Now don't forget to pick a different route back to the lift. You must not go down to the base until after they have left. And wait a few minutes until I'm out of sight."

"Yes, Sir."

Jamal skied off, a disgusted expression on his face. It was true that this Tommy was an unlikely member of their group—normally a good thing, as it would prevent his being easily connected to them—but he seemed to be more of a liability than an asset. As he continued down the hill, a slow smile spread over his features. Despite Tommy's blunderings, the couple had responded perfectly to the confrontation. It was becoming quite clear that they would do nicely. Both of them.

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The kitchen cleaned, Sarah curled up on the couch as Matt placed the DVD in the player. She pulled the throw over her and picked up the book on the coffee table and looked at him.

"Are you sure you don't want to read the book?"

Joining her on the couch, he adjusted the throw so it was covering both of them. "I'm kind of wiped out, to tell the truth. I'm glad we ate dinner here."

Sarah regarded her husband. "This isn't just about wanting to veg out, is it?"

"No." He glanced at her and then stared at the television screen as the previews began. The room was silent, as the television was still on mute. He turned back to her. "Now that the initial shock has worn off, I guess I'm a kind of shaken up from watching you take that fall." He took her hand. "But I know it looked worse than it was."

"We can be grateful that I wasn't really hurt. God was watching over the Sparrow, you know." She smiled crookedly.

His eyes narrowed. "But your back was hurting." He pulled the throw down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let me take a look."

She made a feeble attempt to joke her way out of his examination. "You just have your mind on something else, Mr. Granger. It's not bothering me anymore."

Matt was mildly exasperated. "Please, Sarah." He stared at her until she turned around, allowing him to lift the back of her shirt up. At his soft intake of air, she knew that there definitely was a bruise. He gently ran his hand over shoulder blade.

His voice was tight as he spoke again. "At least it's not too swollen." He pulled her shirt down and stood. She could barely make out his words as he stalked off to the kitchen, mumbling, "But I wouldn't have minded leaving him swollen in a few places."

Once Sarah was settled comfortably with an ice pack, Matt started the movie. But Sarah's mind was on her husband, not the movie. Gone was the peaceful mood of yesterday. Instead, Matt was tense as he pretended he was not upset about her run-in with the snowboarder.

After a half an hour, Sarah pulled the ice pack out from behind her and placed it on the floor. Matt had glanced over at her, but he clearly was trying to stay focused on the movie. Sarah reached for the remote and paused it. At his questioning look, she explained, "I don't think either one of us is into this movie, my love."

"Not really, to be honest." He ran a hand through his hair.

Climbing onto his lap, she cupped his face with her hands. She looked into his eyes for a moment before placing her lips on his. Soon her hands were around his neck. She could feel his shoulders relaxing as they continued the kiss and his arms wrapped around her.

After a moment he pulled away. "Sweetie, I don't want to hurt you."

His eyes closed involuntarily as she ran a finger down his cheek. "How are you hurting me?"

His hand came up to cover hers and he opened his eyes again. "You know where this is leading."

"Yes, I do." She kissed him again, reaching between them to grasp the hem of his shirt. "My back doesn't hurt."

He did not stop her from pulling his shirt up, but he did not raise his arms to help her, either. "I don't feel right about his. We can just go to bed and cuddle."

Sarah sat back, a stern look on her face now. "You had a much larger bruise on your back when we went dancing for the first time. I'm okay, Matt." She gazed at him for a moment before tugging at his shirt again. When he still did not move, she leaned in and spoke softly. "Really. It's not bothering me."

"Fine." At last there was the glimmer of a smile on his face. "You know, I like it when you stand your ground." He kissed her before adjusting his shirt and easing her off of his lap and rising off of the couch. "But I want us to take our time tonight." Reaching down, he grabbed the ice pack and threw it into the kitchen sink before turning off the lights so the downstairs was lit only by the still-burning embers in the fireplace. Coming back over to Sarah, he took her in his arms and led her slowly around the room, softly humming one of their favorite tunes as they danced together.

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Lee took a sip of his coffee and picked up his roll. After nibbling on it, he frowned and set it back down.

"What's the matter, Stetson? Not stale enough for you?" Amanda smirked in his direction before going back to the newspaper. She absent-mindedly finished the last few spoonfuls of her cereal as she read.

Rather than continue to peruse his section of the newspaper, Lee stood up and looked out the kitchen window. The sun sparkled on the ice and snow in the garden. "Looks pretty cold out today. Glad we have an excuse to stay inside."

Folding up the newspaper, Amanda turned to watch her husband. "I have some blueberry muffins in the freezer. Would you like to warm one up?"

He glanced at her before going to the refrigerator. "You know, I've gotten pretty attached to those blueberry muffins lately. Thanks." He rummaged around in the freezer before pulling his arm back out and waving a package in the air. "Bingo!"

Rinsing her cereal bowl at the sink, Amanda shook her head. "Of course, I still can't understand how you can work out the way you do and only eat a muffin for breakfast."

Lee stopped on his way to the microwave to plant a kiss on his wife's cheek. "It's just one of the mysteries about me that keeps our relationship so exciting."

Amanda rolled her eyes as she turned from the sink and moved to refill her coffee mug. "If you're looking for a snappy comeback, I don't even want to go there."

Turning from the microwave, Lee looked hurt. "What? You think we've gotten boring?"

Setting the mug down, Amanda went to her husband and placed her arms around his waist. "I didn't say that. I just meant that after nearly twenty-five years of marriage, I feel like I've learned most of your mysteries." After offering him a knowing smile, she reached up to kiss him.

Lee pretended to consider Amanda's words as his arms slowly wrapped around her. "That is true. But there may still be a few out there." He raised his eyebrows. Just as his mouth opened for his next remark, his cell phone rang. Amanda stepped back to give him room to pull it from his pocket and answer it.

"Stetson here." After pausing to listen, Lee looked up at Amanda, his eyes alight. "Yes, Emily, she's right beside me."

Amanda was attentive, hoping to pick up enough of the conversation so Lee would not have to give her a play-by-play. But he solved that problem by activating the phone's speaker.

"I hope you don't mind, Emily, but I've placed you on speaker."

"That's fine, Lee. I'd like to talk to both of you at once. And by the way, Amanda, thank you for thinking of me. I'm sure Lee told you that after a day or two of resting, I was feeling much better. Tristan and Margaret have been waiting on me hand and foot. It's really gotten out of hand.

"But that's not why I called. I've been asked to offer some oversight to an investigation being carried out at one of our universities. We're using some of our younger agents for the case—we needed them to look the part of undergraduate and post-graduate students. As you know, I mentor many of the new agents, so I was asked to offer guidance as they venture into the field for what may be their first time."

Bemused, Lee exchanged glances with his wife. But it was Amanda who spoke up first. "Emily, may I ask why you are telling us about this case?"

"Oh! Of course, my dear. As you know, your Matthew was assigned to a similar case. I'll be working with him here in Washington. I wanted you to know that he and I would have a chance to work together after all."

"Oh? Really?" Lee exchanged a glance with Amanda again.

"Yes! I was quite pleased. It may not be for very long, as I am staying just long enough to find out how the case is progressing before I return to England." She paused. "It would be lovely to spend some time with Sarah, too. You can imagine I would not want to pass up the chance to work with a third generation of the Stetson family."

Amanda interjected, "Emily, I'm sure that would be an invaluable experience for Matt and Sarah. But from what I have heard, Matt's case has not made much progress. But we are not privy to much anymore. Francine's duties have been divided up and Richard Wong has been given more responsibility."

"Yes, I know. But Francine is supervising this case." Lee and Amanda thought they heard a voice in the background. "Well, it has been lovely chatting, but I'm called to another phone. I am excited to be working with Matthew, my dears. Sarah was very wise to marry that fine young man. He has a remarkable record in his previous position. I know he is just getting started at the Agency, but I read enough to see why Lee would allow him to marry Sarah." Emily chuckled.

"You know me too well, Emily." Lee's tone was sardonic.

"That I do, Lee. Well, do take care."

"Good bye, Emily." Lee and Amanda spoke at the same time.

"Good bye, my dears."

Lee was preoccupied as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Emily knows something. I'm wondering if Sarah has already been involved in this case."

Amanda raised her eyebrows, but her voice was placating as she took Lee's muffin from the microwave and handed it to him. "Let's not borrow trouble, Lee. Sarah will have enough to do for the next month or two. She doesn't need to help out with Matt's case. Besides, there had been no leads before Christmas. They have no idea who is recruiting the students."

"You should be using the word 'coerce,' not 'recruit,' Amanda." Lee sat beside her. "They are scaring these kids into doing their dirty work."

"We're probably not supposed to know about any of this."

"Well, we do. And now I'm worried that Sarah and Matt are in above their heads. Rene, too. Just like last fall."

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, Lee."

"I'm calling Phillip. At least we can find out if someone is keeping an eye on Sarah and Matt."

"Lee!" Amanda placed her hand on Lee's arm and gripped it. "You are not calling Phillip. It's their honeymoon, for heaven's sake."

Lee placed his hand on top of Amanda's, his expression grave. "We need to be proactive, Amanda. I hate to bring up bad memories, but…"

She stared down at their hands, not saying anything for a long moment. "You're right. I just don't want you to be right."

He placed a finger under her chin, raising her face so he could look into her eyes. "Hopefully they won't have to know there's anything to worry about until next Monday."

Amanda only nodded in response.

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Lying on his side, Matt watched his new bride as she slept facing him, her face serene and relaxed. In the dim morning light, he could just make out the soft pink of her cheeks as it contrasted with the dark hair that lay over her shoulders and across the pillow. The blankets had slipped down a little as she had rolled over to face him. Carefully he moved his hand underneath the covers, slowly pulling them up so her bare shoulders would not grow cold.

She smelled good—the fact that he loved the rose-garden scent of her shampoo had become almost like a private joke between them, especially since Sarah's stylist had given her an entire carton of hair products with that fragrance. However, when he was holding her, his mind was not on their inside joke but instead on how much he wanted her. He had fought the physical temptation to be with her for months; now that they were finally together as husband and wife, he wondered how that had been possible. It seemed almost sinful to love a woman that much.

For the moment he was content to watch her. Perhaps the scare they had had the day before had been God's way of reminding Matt to be grateful for every moment, including the peace and quiet of being with his wife in a warm bed early in the morning. Sarah had been right to force him out of his funk the night before. It had been such a pleasure to dance with her and then…

Drawing in a deep breath and sighing quietly, Sarah opened her eyes with a flutter. After staring at Matt for a moment, she smiled a little and reached out for him.

He scooted closer to her and rose up on one elbow as she brushed her fingers lightly across his chest. He was the first to speak. "Good morning, beautiful." Bringing his free hand up to her face, he ran his forefinger along her temple and cheek.

"Good morning." Sarah suppressed a yawn. "Somehow you always manage to wake up before me."

Moving his hand to her hair, Matt smoothed it away from her face. "I haven't been awake that long. And you were tired."

"I don't feel so tired this morning." She reached up to run her hands through his hair. "And as much as I loved those early morning texts you always sent me, this is a much nicer way to start the day."

"Much." Matt leaned in to kiss his wife, draping a leg over hers as she brought her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him closer.

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Later that morning he was behind the wheel of their rented SUV, with Sarah in the passenger seat. She picked up his phone, but could see that he did not have the GPS running. "I guess you know the way to Lake Granby pretty well."

"It's an easy drive." They passed the lone grocery store for the Winter Park and Fraser area—the one where they had purchased their food the first night of their stay—and continued north along the road as it took curving path at a slow uphill ascent through the mountain valley.

They were quiet for a few miles, comfortable in one another's company as they enjoyed the snow-covered fields and ridges along their route. Occasionally they would cross a creek, its surface solid with ice.

Finally Matt broke the silence. "We can stop to eat our sandwiches at a little spot near the lake, then head into town. We can go shopping or even do a little snowmobiling, if you want."

"I'm sure you'd rather go snowmobiling. And that sounds like fun."

Matt looked at her sharply before moving his eyes back to the road. "Are you sure?"

"Maybe we could do a little shopping after the snowmobiling. I'd like to see if I can pick up some gifts."

He glanced at her again. "Okay. The snowmobiling is by the hour, so we won't be out there all afternoon." He reached out for her hand. "There's a really nice steakhouse in town, too. I thought I'd take you there for dinner."

"Well, we're dressed for a restaurant. I'm just glad that the ski jackets and bib are in the backseat so we won't freeze if we go snowmobiling."

"Of course you had to tease me by wearing the honeymoon sweater the day we take a road trip."

Sarah looked down. Her jacket was open, showing the top she had chosen to wear that day. The soft, ice blue sweater with its v-neck was a favorite of Matt's. "I guess I didn't think about that when I put it on."

"You look lovely." Matt raised their hands so he could kiss hers.

"Thank you. You look nice, too—and at ease. You were saying how you liked seeing me relax. I could say the same for you."

Matt glanced down at his jeans and black sweater. Under the sweater he wore a simple white t-shirt—it added a little warmth and was soft under the scratchy sweater. He had not thought about how he had looked. He did feel at ease in these clothes, except the sturdy snow boots he wore were not entirely comfortable. But they kept his feet warm. "You really think that? I have to confess that one of the reasons I wanted to come here on our honeymoon was so that I wouldn't have to dress up for an entire week."

She shifted in her seat and smiled over at Matt. "Well, whatever it takes for you to relax. You needed it just as much as me."

"Yeah. I guess you're right." He glanced over at her. Their hands had drifted apart—he took hers again, idly playing with the wedding set on her finger. "I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying this week with you, Sarah. It's not just the comfortable clothes. It's everything. Cooking together, reading that book, getting ready in the morning, being able to share a bed with you after all of these months. Not that we always sleep in that bed." He turned for a moment to offer her a suggestive grin before growing serious again. "One of my favorite parts of being married is waking up beside you."

Sarah gripped his hand and covered it with her other hand. "I feel the same way. I love you so much." She stared down at their joined hands. "I'm so glad we waited. It's been pretty wonderful having that be a part of our honeymoon." She looked up, finally, and laughed a little. "I can't believe I was so nervous the first time. It seems silly now."

"We just wanted to make each other happy. And I'm glad we waited, too. It seems more special—even though I've been crazy in love with you for all these months, it wouldn't have been the same."

They rode in companionable silence for a few more miles. As they passed the turn for a summer camp, Matt glanced up in the rearview mirror and frowned.

Releasing his hand, Sarah watched her husband with concern. "What is it?"

"Hopefully nothing but me being a paranoid operative who shouldn't be ruining the mood."

Glancing in the sideview mirror, Sarah could not make out any cars. She did not want to turn around to look. "What do you see? I can't see much."

Matt adjusted the passenger side mirror. "See that dark SUV back there? They keep matching my speed. But they never catch up."

"There's a town up ahead. Should we lose them in a parking lot or something?"

He grinned at her. "You've been reading the manual."

"And listening to my parents for most of my life."

He raised his eyebrows. "True, that." Glancing over at her, he kept his tone light. "Listen, I hate having anything intrude on our honeymoon, but we should probably not ignore this vehicle behind us." He checked the rearview mirror again. "I left the Lo Jack for this SUV in the garage at the condominium."

"Nice." Sarah raised her own eyebrows, impressed with her husband's foresight. "But that means they've been following us since Winter Park."

"Your brother Phillip taught me that trick. And we don't know for sure they're following us."

"Satellite? Somehow they're tracking one of our phones?"

Matt did not answer Sarah. He did not want to consider that someone would use such a high tech method to track their vehicle. It was not likely that their sophisticated phones could be tracked, but that protection could end at some point as technology continued to advance. He decided to distract Sarah as they entered the town. "Sweetie, see if you can help me navigate to a parking lot. Keep your eyes open."

Matt concentrated on watching for pedestrians and taking turns as abruptly as he could, hoping to lose anyone that might be following them.

"Turn in here." Sarah gestured to the parking lot on their right. "There's a spot in the back. See it?"

"Yeah. This is perfect. I can still see the street but there are other SUVs like ours driving around town. We'll have confused them."

Sarah opened the glove compartment and pulled out a map. "Maybe there's another way to get to the north end of the lake."

"Not on that map. But my parents had friends who owned a cabin…" He leaned over to glance at the map and pointed at a spot to the east. "We can take a detour off the main road. That way we won't run into anyone waiting out by the main road."

"Sounds like a good idea."

Matt studied her face. Her hazel eyes did not seem troubled, but he was concerned that she was hiding her fears. "I'm sorry about this, Sarah."

"We could be worried about nothing."

"I hope so. But I'm sorry to put a damper on our day."

"It's part of our life. And it isn't so bad." She looked around. "This is a cute town. Maybe we could stop to eat those sandwiches on our little detour." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Might be kind of romantic."

"I hope you're kidding. It might be a pretty view, but it won't be warm."

She placed a hand on his arm and laughed a little. "I wasn't thinking of that kind of romantic. You think we can sneak out of town now?"

"Let's give it a try. Keep your eyes peeled."

They were three miles outside of town before Matt breathed a sigh of relief. "There's no one behind us." He turned north, following the road as it headed up the ridge overlooking the town. Occasional driveways were interspersed with fences and groves of evergreen trees.

"It's beautiful up here." Sarah stared out the window, watching the view.

"It's a little early for lunch, but do you want to stop here?" Matt pulled off onto an overlook. The highway to Grand Lake was visible in the distance.

"This would be nice."

He tried not to think about the other car too much as they ate their lunch, but Matt kept glancing over to the road as they ate. They were too far away to see much, but he was able to tell that there were no cars waiting by the side of the main highway and none showed up while they were eating. He decided it was safe to continue on to Grand Lake.

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"Lee, I've checked closed circuit cameras at the ski resort, in the town of Winter Park, and at the complex where Sarah and Matt are staying." From Phillip's tone, Lee could not tell if he was annoyed at him or someone else.

"Look, I know you're busy, Phillip. I wouldn't have called you if your mom and I weren't genuinely concerned."

"You have a right to be."

Lee felt as if his stomach had dropped to his feet. He was grateful to be sitting in his desk chair—and somehow glad that Amanda could be spared the shock for the moment. He ran a hand through his hair. "I would rather be getting a lecture on being a worry-wart, if you want to know the truth."

"And I'd rather be giving one." Phillip paused. "Where's Mom? You might want to put her on speaker."

"She ran out to the store. Who knows why in this cold? But she insisted she needed to go."

Phillip punched a few buttons. "Which store?"

"Phillip, your mother isn't being followed, is she?"

"No, probably not."

Lee could hear the sounds of a mouse and keyboard. "Tell me the bad news, Phillip."

"It looks like a pretty well-organized group, whoever they are. I still haven't figured out how they got on their tail at the airport. But when Sarah and Matt stopped for dinner, these guys slipped up and I caught on to their game. It was early and the parking lot was rather empty. I saw someone pull in, park, and not get out. Then, not long after Sarah and Matt drove away, the car followed them. They must have a team—someone follows for a little while, then they switch off. When Sarah and Matt pulled into their driveway, another car showed up on the street nearby and parked after they went inside. It's obvious surveillance. They were replaced during the night."

"And you're sure it's not some Agency op that you don't know about? Maybe they're keeping an eye on Matt, or even Sarah, for some reason?"

"I reported what I found to Francine. From the way she reacted, I'd say not."

"Can we keep this from Matt and Sarah for now?"

"Call Francine. I'm not in charge. But it won't be me who tells them. And Lee, there's more. It looks like some guy followed them to the slopes yesterday. But there wasn't much footage—mostly around the chairlifts."

Lee swore under his breath.

"But you should know that they weren't followed back to their condo last night. And I couldn't find any cameras in their complex showing any kind of surveillance vehicles. It's as if they backed off and disappeared."

Just then Lee looked up to see Amanda standing in the doorway, a stricken expression on her face. "Look, Phillip. I need to go. Your mom is here."

After Lee put down the phone, he was out of his chair, his arms around Amanda. She did not hug him back, standing rigidly instead.

"Just tell me, Lee."

"Someone was watching them. That's all we know." He stroked her hair, willing her to stay calm. "Matt knows what he's doing, Amanda. Sarah's been learning a lot. They can work together to watch out for themselves."

"For heaven's sake, Lee. It's their honeymoon." Amanda's voice was even, but Lee could hear the telltale squeak of fear in it.

"I know it." He held her tightly for a few minutes, his jaw working at first. Then he forced himself to relax.

Amanda spoke first. "Can we call Francine? See if they can keep this from them for now?"

"I was just going to do that." He stroked her hair again. "But Amanda, I said someone was watching them. Past tense. They haven't been followed since sometime yesterday."

"Well, they may have backed off for now, but they could come back. If you're going to call Francine," she said as she stepped away, "don't let me stop you."

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"Well, I feel foolish." Matt picked up his water glass and took a sip before glancing around the restaurant. The other diners in the steakhouse were intent on their menus or conversation. No one was watching them.

"Don't. It was kind of fun, Matt. Besides, we wouldn't have had that lovely view for our lunch if we hadn't taken the detour."

"That's true." Matt reached for her hand. "Thanks for going snowmobiling with me. It seemed like you enjoyed it."

Her eyes lit up as she replied, "You know, I did. Although I'm glad we brought the ski bibs. I'd be soaked right now." She leaned down to pick up her bag and glance inside. "Thanks for going shopping with me. I'm glad we picked up a few gifts while we were here. And it was nice to walk around the town before dinner."

"Hey, it's a husband's duty to hit a store with his wife at least once a year."

Rolling her eyes, Sarah set the bag down. "Face it, Granger, you're helping buy gifts whether you like it or not. Some of these are for your family."

"I know. I don't mind shopping with you. You don't browse in every store, taking hours to get a few things."

"Who do you know that does?"

Matt gestured as if he was pretending to zip his lips. "Not going to say. It's a close family member. You'll figure it out one of these days if you haven't already."

Sarah was about to reply, but she was cut off when the server arrived with their plates. As soon as he had left the table, she had picked up her knife and fork. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

Remembering the weeks when it had been difficult to encourage Sarah to eat, Matt sent up a small prayer of thanks. Smiling indulgently, he watched her for a moment before cutting into his own steak.

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"I'm telling you, Lee, there's been nothing. I'm embarrassed to be snooping on the poor kids. They have a right to honeymoon and canoodle without us watching them for a change." Francine leaned back in her chair and stared out the row of windows along her office wall. Of course there was no view—at least not a scenic one. The Agency was still in the same underground offices it had occupied since the early sixties—and the bullpen she looked out over was not much different from the one she had worked in since the eighties. The computers had been upgraded several times—the high tech surveillance and operations display screens that dominated one wall were definitely an improvement. The furniture had been changed once or twice, but she did not think much else was different.

"Canoodle? I don't think I want to know what that means."

"It's what kids call hugging and kissing these days."

"Really? Granger was making out with Sarah in public?" Francine thought she heard a disgusted snort.

"I didn't say that. They were cozy on the chairlifts the last couple of days. Then they went home early and didn't leave the condo. You know what that means. A backgammon tournament."

"Can it, Francine. You're talking about my daughter."

"You should be glad she's happily married to a man who loves her."

"I guess it's better than harping about how she can't live her life without creeps and spooks keeping an eye on her."

"Now you sound sarcastic." She sat up and started clicking through the emails on her computer. "Look, Lee. Let's be glad they're safe. Matt has a weapon with him. You say Sarah packed hers. We'll debrief them next week. Tell Amanda we'll keep an eye on them."

"You really don't mind using resources for that?"

"Chances are it's our fault. And besides, Phillip is doing most of it on top of his regular assignments."

"Thanks, Francine. I'd better let you get back to it."

"Hey. It was nice to chat with an old friend." She stressed the word old.

"Watch it. I'm not much older than you." He paused to listen to her chuckle. "You doing okay there? Ready to retire, yet?"

"Well, since I'm younger than you, no. They did cut my workload so I would stick it out."

"What is it then?" Sensing that Francine was holding back, Lee pressed her.

"Let's just say that with the changing of the guard there are adjustments. Certain personalities—well, you know."

Lee was silent a moment. "You can handle it. Hang in there."

"And you enjoy that consulting business of yours. Call me when you get stuck."

"Ha ha. I've already got a part-time IT guy."

"That busy, huh?"

"Yeah—well busy enough. I'm not bored and I still have time to enjoy the family. Jessica is coming for a sleepover Friday night and we don't have to worry about cancelling last minute."

"You earned it, friend."

"I'll talk with you again soon, Francine."

"Later, Scarecrow."


	3. Chapter 3

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Three

After staring out the window for several minutes, Sarah turned, idly watching her husband as he steered his Charger onto the road that led to their apartment.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" He glanced over at her and gripped her hand for a moment.

"If you're thinking that it would have been nice to have another week in Colorado, then yes." She laughed softly. "But the time we did have was wonderful. I learned a lot about you."

Matt's eyebrows shot up. "I thought you had me all figured out. What did you learn?"

"Well, I'm too shy to talk about all of the things." She paused, and watched his mouth tip in an amused smile. "Thankfully you don't snore."

"Yes. It was one of my selling points when I started looking for a future wife."

"You're a goof." Laughing softly, she poked him lightly in the arm.

"Trying to keep my chin up here. Actually, my family says I snored quite loudly until I had my tonsils out in middle school."

Sarah could not help but giggle at that news. "See? I just learned another new thing about you." She grew more serious again. "Something else I learned, or decided, rather, was that I want to help you relax more." She blushed, wondering if he would guess at her full meaning.

He picked up her hand and kissed it. "I decided the same thing about you. I know what you're hinting at, too. But there is more to it than all the loving. It was also nice just to stay in one place and hang out. We won't have to drive back and forth between your apartment and mine anymore. It will be easier to drive to work on those days we can share a ride. Tomorrow when we go to church, we can leave later. It will be good to have life be a little simpler."

"Well, as simple as it can be with my training."

"Yeah." He shifted in his seat as they stopped at a light. "I learned something about you, too." He grinned over at her and ran his fingertips along her leg. "Besides the obvious."

When he touched her like that, it always made her shiver a little. She tried to focus on the conversation. "What's that?"

"You're a great roommate."

Sarah laughed. "Are you kidding? I've always had my own room, except for the first year in the dorms. I've been worried I'd be hard to live with."

"I'm not kidding. You pick up after yourself, you put your hair stuff away, you don't mess with the thermostat, and you don't take too long in the shower. Well, not as long as my sisters, anyway."

"I guess I've always been more like my mom and grandma when it came to clutter. Be glad I'm not like my dad. As for the thermostat, I figured out when we lived in the safe house that you liked control of the thermostat. When I'm cold, I just shiver and you get the message."

It was Matt's turn to laugh, but his voice was apologetic. "Sorry. You should speak up."

"I'm fine. I don't care much. Being the youngest, and then the only kid in a house with three adults, I never had much say in the matter. And you always seem to notice before I get uncomfortable. It's kind of sweet, actually."

"I guess all of those years in the Corps and then as an officer in the Army has made me a bit uptight. I hope you don't mind."

She watched his face. His gray eyes were almost blue in the late afternoon light. They seemed to darken when his mood was intense. "Really, Matt. It's all good. We both like things the same way, for the most part. I've always been impressed by how neat you are. I was always comfortable visiting your apartment—no dirty underwear lying on the floor of the bathroom." She sat back in her seat, regarding him for a moment. "Are you nervous, now that we're almost home? This will be the first time we've really lived together in our own place."

When he did not answer immediately, Sarah's voice was soft. "Don't be nervous."

"I just want you feel like it's home, you know?" He ran a hand through his hair. "I hope you won't be wishing you were back at your own place after a couple of weeks—or less."

"Oh! No. I can't imagine thinking that. It's going to be great, Matt. You'll see." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "And if there are any bumps, we'll work it out."

"I love you like crazy." He turned to her briefly. "You know that, right?"

"Yes, I do. And you know I love you like crazy, too, right?"

Now Matt's grin was sheepish. "Yeah." He was quiet at they drove down the street that led behind their complex. He turned into the parking lot and soon they were pulling into their driveway. "Well, this is it. No more saying good night and going home to take a cold shower."

Sarah was astonished. "You had to take cold showers after driving home?"

"A few times. It was hard to take my mind off of you, especially if we'd been pretty affectionate."

"I would be lonely as soon as you left."

"Well, we don't have to be lonely anymore." He opened his door. "Come on. I have one more threshold to carry you over, and I can finally give my back a break." He winked.

Sarah waited in her seat, knowing Matt would want to get her door—at least this time. As he picked her up and shut the door with his hip, she could not help making a snappy remark as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, since you've gotten the hang of closing the car door while you're carrying me, we could make this a habit. That is if I'm not too heavy."

He tilted his head toward hers and kissed her. "You're not too heavy. But I think the neighbors would think we were pretty strange." He walked over to the front door, which he had already opened. "Welcome to your new home, Mrs. Granger. I pray you'll be happy here with me."

Looking into his eyes, Sarah could see how earnest he was. As he stepped into their entry, she hoped he could see how sincere she was in return. "I already am, my love."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Matt maneuvered the Volvo into a parking space in the Agency's underground garage. Since their experience with the cartel, Matt had rarely used the Georgetown entrance, and Sarah never did. He turned off the car and pulled the keys from his jacket pocket. "If all goes as planned, we should be able to drive home together. But just in case I have to get a ride from Rene…"

"Okay." Sarah took the keys and placed them in her purse. "Thanks for driving today."

"You always want me to drive and I'm glad to do it."

Sarah could almost hear the "but" in his voice. She was a confident driver. However, she preferred having him behind the wheel when they were together. Especially when she was feeling stressed.

"Yes. But today was a really good day for that." She checked the time on her phone. They were early. She could sit in the car and take a few breaths to calm her nerves.

As if he were reading her mind, Matt reached for her hand. "You ready for this?"

Relaxing her shoulders, she looked at her husband. "Yes, I am. Thanks for praying with me earlier."

"I hope that will be a habit for us every morning." Letting his eyes travel over her, he took in the dark suit and white blouse that were visible under her open overcoat and reassured her with his tone. "You look lovely." He caught himself. He needed to keep his mind on work. "But professional."

"Thanks. And don't worry. I'll just give a knifehand to any of the new guys who try to get fresh." She laughed at her own joke. Stretching her legs so she could see her feet better, Sarah was matter-of-fact. "Mom told me to wear flats until training is over."

"Good idea." He glanced down at the jeans, sweater, and thick jacket he wore. "I'm happy not to wear a suit. I probably have to head over to UVa for part of the day and pretend to be a graduate student."

"You and Rene have some beater lined up, right? A student car?"

Matt grinned. "Yeah. But Leatherneck trained the guys in the pool pretty well. Rene says the thing may be ugly, but it runs like a beauty."

"I was impressed that he waited until this morning to text you."

"The guy is a romantic. He also said he has big news. He wants to tell both of us at once."

A car drove past and pulled into a spot not far from theirs. Loud and showing its age, it seemed like an unlikely vehicle for an agent. Matt craned his neck to see who the driver of the unfamiliar vehicle was. "Either that's a new civilian employee or…"

"Well, if it isn't the newlyweds." Matt and Sarah could make out a familiar voice coming from the direction of the strange car.

"…my partner in our new wheels." He grinned at Sarah. "Let me give you a kiss for luck before he sees us." After he quickly touched his lips to hers, they gathered their things and got out of the car.

"Making out in the parking garage, already? You'd think you'd had enough of that on the honeymoon. I guess I know where to look if either of you comes up missing from now on."

"Very funny, Enriquez. Say hello to our new agent. Sarah Granger."

Rene bowed formally to Sarah and extended his hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Agent Granger." He stood up straight, perplexed. "Wait. There already is an Agent Granger."

Sarah laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Enough, Enriquez. We need to get inside. What did you want to tell us?"

Placing a hand on Sarah's back, Matt moved to walk with her to the security entrance. Before they took a step, Rene reached out to stop them.

"Wait. It's on the down low for now." Seeing their curious expressions, he continued. His face was sober now. "Patti's pregnant again. This time everything seems to be going okay. In fact, she's over four months along. It took her a while to find a dress that would hide her bump at your wedding reception."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you both." Sarah did her best, despite her purse and courier bag, to hug Matt's partner and their friend. Three years earlier, it had been her mother, supervisor of the freshman agents, whom Rene had confided in when Patti had become pregnant. And when Patti had lost the baby in her fourth month, it had been Amanda who offered some comfort to the couple—meals and a shoulder to cry on—until their family could come to be with them. Amanda's gesture had been one of the reasons Rene had become fiercely protective of the Stetson family.

Matt offered his partner a handshake, then a quick hug and clap on the back. "That's great news, man. Is Patti doing okay?"

"She's been sick, but since we've made it past the four-month mark, she's feeling better and finally starting to be excited. We're both getting excited." He turned towards the security desk. "Well, enough of my stuff. I guess we'd better get this new girl inside before Wong puts her on a blacklist."

Sarah chuckled politely along with the men, but she did not miss the warning look Matt shot over her head towards Rene. Although she knew Rene was joking, she could not help a feeling of dread to dampen her spirits. Richard Wong had already been putting pressure on her during her preliminary training. Now she might really be under the gun as she was measured against the other new agents. She was quiet as she showed her identification to the guard and walked with Matt and Rene into the building.

"Hey Sarah. That was a joke. Wong's been pretty upbeat about his new class of agents." Rene was watching her, a regretful expression on his face as they entered the elevator.

Once the doors were closed, Matt moved his hand to her shoulder. He cast a significant look at his partner. "Yes. Rene was telling me that Wong is looking forward to working with you." He bent to whisper in her ear so any surveillance equipment on the elevator would not easily pick up his words. "I can't be easy on you in the hand-to-hand when we get started tomorrow, but I will keep an eye on Wong and say something if he steps over the line. Don't let him intimidate you."

Sarah squared her shoulders. "I'll be okay, Matt. Really."

The elevator ping announced the floor for the conference room where she was to wait for Wong and the others.

"Love you, Sarah. I'll be praying."

"Later, Sarah."

She smiled back at the men and walked down the corridor to where one of Wong's assistants stood with a clipboard. Matt continued to watch her as the doors closed and the elevator continued down to the bull pen.

"Kind of like sending a kid off to school for the first time." At Matt's expression, he amended his words. "Or taking a kid to college." When Matt's scowl did not lighten up, he pressed the point. "Hey, she's like a little sister to me, you know."

"I know. I guess I'm uptight about this. She's been through a lot."

"And here I was thinking you looked the most relaxed I've ever seen you." The elevator stopped on their level and they exited.

"Thanks, I think." Matt eyed his partner warily.

"Nothing like a little time alone with the wife—"

Matt was quick to interrupt Rene. "Off limits, buddy." At Rene's annoyed expression, Matt allowed a glimmer of a smile to show. "But it was pretty amazing. We've already planned a couple of weekend trips to the cabin—at least we put in dates with Lee and Amanda anyway. Hopefully we can get away."

Rene waggled his eyebrows. "That's the spirit, man."

They passed the through the doors of the bullpen and were met with friendly greetings from the few agents who had already arrived for the day. Francine, seated at her desk with a phone attached to her ear, spotted them and waved them down. Rene and Matt both raised a hand in acknowledgement.

Her assistant, Narelle, who had not witnessed the exchange, called out to Matt and Rene. "Enriquez and Granger, Chief Beaman wants to see you as soon as she's off the phone."

"Thanks, Narelle. We saw her flagging us down." Rene tossed his lunch bag on his desk and powered up his computer as Matt did the same. It did not take long for Rene to clean out his email inbox, but Matt had a large amount of email to sift through. While he waited, Rene practiced tossing paper wads in the trash.

Soon Narelle was calling their names. Rene was the first to greet the section chief. "Ready to send us into the trenches to teach Engineering 101, boss?"

Francine brushed off Rene's flippant remark. "Good morning, Rene. Welcome back, Matt. You look like marriage is agreeing with you."

"Good morning, Chief. Thanks, ma'am. It is."

Francine smiled beatifically at Matt and turned to Rene with a mock scowl. "Why can't you show me that kind of respect, Enriquez?"

Rene took a seat next to Matt. "Because I'm driving that beater and he's still on cloud nine."

"So, they gave you some wheels to fit the poor college student cover?" Francine smiled in delight. "I wish I could come along to see this." She played with the mouse on her computer. "It looks like they've worked out your housing."

Matt glanced nervously first at Rene, then at Francine. "Excuse me?"

"Relax, Granger." Francine was still studying the screen. "It's a front. You two share a ride back and forth to campus from your supposed apartment complex. It's a busy place with plenty of entrances and exits. Lots of young people. You wear generic clothing like what you have on today so you can get lost easily. To get out of there, you'll wear disguises as you drive away in different unmarked Agency vehicles and either come back here or go home. It's a bit risky, but until recently, you haven't been followed. It should work."

Rene's expression was uncomfortable as Matt first looked alarmed, then suspicious. He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, until recently?" He directed his next remark to Rene. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

Rene spoke quietly. "Just listen, man."

Francine was serious now. "First, let me tell you that we only had your best interests in mind. I pulled a few strings that I might not have pulled for anyone else."

Sitting back in his chair, Matt muttered, "Okay. I'm listening."

"Someone followed you and Sarah from the Denver airport to Winter Park. We know that someone was watching you on the slopes last Tuesday. After that, they vanished. We haven't seen them tailing you since."

"By that you mean that you've had people tailing us, too, right?"

"Yes."

Matt's face was grim. "Then the snowboarder thing on Tuesday was probably a set up."

Francine leaned forward. "Come again?"

"How did you know they were following us?"

"We had a tip." Francine cleared her throat. "Actually, I should say that a couple of former agents known for their 'gut feelings' tipped us off that your safety might be compromised in some way. We did not place surveillance on either you and Sarah or Rene and his wife until we had ascertained that you were being followed."

"My in-laws were spying on us."

"Let's keep your in-laws out of this. You'll be working with a colleague of theirs. She had intelligence that she could not leak to them. But these old spooks have ways of letting each other know things without actually saying the words."

"Emily Farnsworth tipped off Lee and Amanda? Is Lady Farnsworth involved in this now?"

"Yes. We'll get to her later. In fact, you have a meeting with her tomorrow. Sarah may be brought in at some point, too. But let's get back to the snowboarder thing."

"There were no cameras on that slope. It was too far from the chairlifts. Some jerk clipped Sarah from behind and made her take a nasty fall. Then this other guy rushed over to help her before I could get back up the hill. Sarah claims he had been watching us. He must be pretty smooth, because I never spotted him."

"Well, if those two were part of the team following you, they all backed off after Sarah's fall."

"Really? You really had people watching us on our honeymoon?" Matt wanted to be respectful, but his frustration showed through.

"Like I said, we were keeping an eye on you. It was discreet. The agents from the Denver office did not know who they were watching."

"But someone had to get the reports."

"It was me."

"Were they driving a black SUV? I lost that tail."

"I don't know about any black SUVs."

Matt frowned. Perhaps it really had been nothing. He focused on Francine again.

"…As for the Agency team's updates, Lee asked me about you a couple of times. I only told him enough so he and Amanda would be able to keep from worrying."

Matt turned to Rene. "What about you and Patti?" Matt thought of Rene's wife, hoping she was not worried over all of this. It would be tragic to lose another baby.

"Apparently you got their attention. Not me. If they are following me, they're very good. Not even Phillip and his software could detect any surveillance."

"So, what's the plan? Do you know who was following us?"

"The plan is to move forward as we discussed in December. Until we learn further, we'll have a team following you now whenever you're working the cover. And you are to take precautions when you are elsewhere. We'll have a team keep an eye on you after leaving the cover housing—we'll make sure you aren't followed from there." Francine leaned back in her chair. "As for who was following you, Phillip and Jamie have teams on that. Phillip has some grainy photos of drivers in surveillance vehicles. He's running facial recognition software. And he's also figured out that they must have hacked into more than one computer to track you to Denver and find you at the car rental. No one could have followed you unless they had already purchased tickets for the flight. It was full."

"Unless they replaced someone with a ticket."

"Rene, you've been watching too many Bourne movies or something." Matt rolled his eyes.

"Bought them off." Francine was grim. "That's not Bourne. It's greed. Pay enough money and people don't ask questions."

"What about identification?" Matt was still skeptical.

"This was done ahead of time. Someone pretended to be from the airline. Hacked into the computers. Changed the tickets, made fake I.D., who knows?" Rene had warmed to his theory. "At least Phillip couldn't find anyone following you when you arrived at the airport. They seemed to be waiting for you to show up on the cameras."

"That's right, Rene. They don't seem to know about Lee and Amanda's cabin. As for your theory, Rene, that's Phillip's and Jamie's departments, not ours. For now, I want you two to get ready for your departmental meeting at the University of Virginia." She peered at their shirts. "Don't you two need pocket protectors or something? Maybe some glasses?"

Matt sighed heavily. "Even my father, who is an old school engineer, doesn't wear a pocket protector."

Francine picked up her mouse and eyed her computer screen. "Well, I have to be moving along here, you two. We'll see you back here after lunch. Stay on campus and eat those sandwiches or whatever you brought with you. It will make you look more authentic."

"Thanks, Chief." Matt nodded at Francine as he stood.

"Thanks Chief." Rene waved a hand to Francine then turned to Matt as they moved towards the door of the office. "I suppose she has a point."

"Matt, wait." Matt stopped and turned back to Francine as Rene continued on to his desk.

"I'm sorry we had to intrude on your honeymoon like that. We—I—felt it would be better for you to enjoy yourselves and not to worry."

Matt tried not to grumble his reply. "I guess I can't ever expect any privacy in my life. I chose this career."

"Now don't be too down. Like I said, these Agency guys from the Denver office thought they were keeping an eye on some relatively unknown couple, making sure you didn't get into trouble. They don't know you're Agency. No one knows what you talked about in your car or what kind of food you ate in the condo."

"Thanks for that." Matt made an effort to smile as he left her office. He was grateful that Francine had not said any more. He would have to tell Sarah they had been followed, and he knew she would have been mortified if fellow agents had possibly been making comments on what they were doing inside the condominium.

He found Rene standing near their desks. He asked, "Do you need anything, bro?"

"Not here. I have a backpack in my car."

"Let's get to it, then. Off to college we go."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Writing in her notebook as Richard Wong ran through a PowerPoint presentation, Sarah heard her phone buzz in her purse. She dared not look at it, expecting that Matt was texting her that he was off to class. Funny. We're both in class for now.

She glanced around the room. The group of freshman agents seemed small to her. She recognized Grant Hill and thought of how he had been there when she ran out on the simulation during her preliminary training. He must have impressed Richard Wong, finally, because he was now a part of her class. He seemed nice enough. Hopefully he won't say anything. There were ten other men and women. Just ten? That's it? The Agency was a small organization as government intelligence organizations went, but they had offices in major regions of the country. New York, Miami, Denver, San Antonio, Minneapolis, a couple on the west coast. The other Midwest offices had closed, as well as one on the west coast. The Atlanta office had been downsized. A class of ten recruits was small. She wondered if the conversation she had heard at the last family get-together between Phillip, Jamie, and her parents was true. There was talk about restructuring the Agency?

Wong flipped through another slide and she took more notes. Writing down the information on the various offices, the size of the organization, and other kinds of basic facts was unnecessary, but she did not want to seem like a know-it-all. Everything he was talking about was information she had learned from her parents, her husband, and her brothers. Even Grant Hill seemed to have learned much of it from Leatherneck. But she wanted to be polite and she was not ready to let anyone know that she had family here.

Her thoughts drifted to Saturday afternoon, when she and Matt had gotten home from the airport. Home. She schooled her features to remain unemotional, and she took a few notes from the latest slide. Then her thoughts went back to her husband and their new home together. He had left it spotless, with enough food for them to get by until Sunday after church, when they went to the grocery store together. It had been fun "playing house" for an evening and a day before coming to work. Oh, how nice it was to have a washer and dryer right there. No more traipsing back and forth to her parents' laundry room in all kinds of weather. It had been years since she had been able to wash her clothes conveniently.

And Matt had been excited, too. He seemed just as eager to welcome her as a roommate as she was to finally move in with him. She had spent one night at his old apartment before Christmas, sleeping in his bed, but she had been too emotionally overwrought to notice how comfortable the bed was or think too much about being alone like that with Matt. Other than his holding her close and keeping her warm that night, nothing had happened. But she was perfectly aware of the bed and her husband the past two nights. And then there was the card that he had left on her bedside table, welcoming her to her new home. The message was sweet—she would keep that card forever.

Sarah caught the tail end of a question one of her classmates asked, and was grateful she could pick up on the conversation by listening to Wong's answer. _Time to focus, Sarah. No more daydreaming._

"Let's take a quick break. Bathrooms are down the hall to the left. Help yourself to the coffee or water, if you like." Richard cast his eyes about the room, observing his recruits. Then he glanced over at Sarah. Waiting for the others to clear out of the room, he approached Sarah when she was alone.

"Hey Sarah. I see you with your pen and notebook over here and I wonder what you could be writing down. You could teach this stuff without notes."

"I just don't want to look like a know-it-all. Trying to stay under the radar."

"Good idea. Wait until you get to know your classmates."

"Thanks. Hopefully Grant won't say anything."

"I asked him to keep quiet. We'll see if he can be a spook and keep your family background a secret. And hang in there. You'll be learning something new by tomorrow or the next day."

"Again, thanks." She looked at the door. A couple of agents standing in the hall eyed them curiously. "I should go to the restroom. I can pretend that I was waiting for the line to go down if I go now."

"Don't go overboard with this staying under the radar thing, Sarah. You've done well in your preliminary training. You'll prove yourself. They'll find out eventually, anyway."

Sarah nodded and left to use the facilities, checking her phone as she went. She had a text from Matt, as expected. He was in class. But she also had a text from Christina, her friend, asking her to lunch. Another thing to juggle. Her friends would not understand why she would be so busy for the next few months. They had already been hurt and possibly annoyed with her for seeming to avoid them during the time she had been in the safe house. She had hoped she had set things right when they had visited her during her recuperation last fall, but their relationship had not been the same since then.

Soon Sarah was back in her seat, doing her best to stay attentive and take notes. She tried not to count the minutes until they could break for lunch and she could spend some time getting to know the other members of this freshman class.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Matt and Rene found a spot in the student union where they could sit with their lunches and observe without being too obvious. They wanted to be seen, but not attract too much attention.

"Man, I don't know if I can handle this. Do you think we can get some geek in Analysis to do our homework?"

"Hopefully we won't have to turn any in. A few weeks ago Jamie was telling us not to worry about it—like he had it covered." Matt took a bite of his apple and watched the crowd. "You have to at least go over the assignment so you seem authentic in class. This is a Master's program, Rene."

"Maybe you could just help me. You're the engineer, not me. I took pre-law and criminal justice classes. I was happy to pass College Algebra."

Matt pretended to look at his phone and mumbled, "Keep it down. You never know what people can hear or if they can read lips. There could be a long-range listening device around here."

Rene placed his napkin on his mouth. "I forget you've spent more time undercover than I have. And with scarier people, too." He picked up his water bottle and took a swig. "Do you really think we need to come back here later for that meeting? No one knows for sure if this campus is really 'it.'"

Sighing, Matt cast a long-suffering glance at his partner and pretended to check his phone again. "We have to play this out, Rene. Whoever is recruiting on this campus was probably following Sarah and me. They're serious. This will pan out. It's just a matter of time."

"Well, let's get out of here, then. We have a meeting with our advisor, then debriefing back at the Agency."


	4. Chapter 4

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Four

Sarah was just pulling out of the Agency parking garage at five fifteen when her Bluetooth beeped. She touched the button. "Hello?"

"Hey, Pumpkin."

"Daddy! It's good to hear your voice."

"You should be proud of me. I thought about calling you at least ten times over the last week. Your mother harassed me about checking the weather in Winter Park. But I resisted the urge to dial your number."

"I am proud of you. I hope you don't mind I didn't call you."

"Listen, you don't owe your father a phone call. You've been on your honeymoon and starting a new job. How did it go today?"

"You want honesty?"

"Sure." She thought she detected hesitation in his voice. "But wait. Let me put you on speaker. Your mom is dying to hear how it went, too."

Sarah waited a moment until she heard her mother's familiar, slightly croaky voice. "Hi, sweetheart." Sarah knew by the way her mother said the words that she had missed her, but was trying not to say it. She smiled.

"Hi, Mom. It's good to hear your voice."

"And, it's good to hear yours."

"Well, Daddy asked about my day. It was pretty boring, except for lunch and walking to the parking garage at the end of the day. I had more fun eating a meal with a couple of the other agents and walking to the car with them than I did in the orientation."

Lee chuckled. "Well, I guess when you said honesty…"

"Gee, I hope I wasn't boring."

"Mom, it wasn't Wong or the materials. By the way, I think he uses your PowerPoints."

"Oh, you mean you already knew it all?" Amanda was still not convinced.

"Yes, Mom. I've been around there so much and heard so much—well, you know."

"Actually, I do know the feeling from when I was trained. There was a little friction over it. Your father would take me out of a class so we work on a case. It drove Efraim crazy."

"But you already knew the material. It was a waste of time. And I needed you."

"Now Daddy, save the mushy stuff for after the phone call."

"You don't get mushy with Matt? You're a newlywed."

"Not in front of you." Sarah could almost hear her father rolling his eyes. He had not really been mushy, while she and Matt had been mushy in front of her parents more than a few times.

"You're just trying to get my goat, young lady."

"Yep." She chuckled a little.

"How was the honeymoon, sweetheart?" Sarah knew that her mother's question had more than one meaning.

"It was really nice."

"Really?" Amanda's tone was hopeful.

"Yes, Mom. Winter Park is beautiful in the snow, the condo was very comfortable, it was relaxing—everything was really nice." Sarah and her mother had talked more than once about being with Matt for the first time. Thankfully she was not asking for details.

Sarah could hear her mother's relieved sigh. When her father did not have a snappy comeback, she knew he was glad she had not specifically mentioned the romantic side of things. Instead his response was polite and interested.

"How was the skiing?"

"Great. Plenty of snow. Matt had me do a mogul run. It went pretty well."

"Moguls? No kidding. I could never get you to do moguls."

"Don't be jealous, Daddy. I'm in better shape now than I was in college. And I was too chicken when I was younger."

"Did you go anywhere else?" Amanda was eager to change the subject.

"We drove up to some lakes just north of there. Matt took me snowmobiling and we did a little shopping, ate dinner out." Sarah paused. Lee and Amanda thought they heard a turn signal. "Daddy, Mom, I need to stop at the grocery store now. I decided to make something a little more elaborate for dinner and I need a couple of things. Matt has to work an extra hour, so I want to surprise him."

"We'll let you go. Have a nice evening and give Matt a hug for me, sweetheart."

"Love you, Mom, Daddy."

"Love you, too." Lee and Amanda spoke in unison just before the call ended.

Sitting on the couch in the den, they regarded one another. Finally Lee spoke. "At least she didn't seem to be aware of the tail."

"Or she didn't want to tell us about it."

Taking her hand, Lee was sober. "Francine has it covered, Amanda."

"I know." Amanda's eyes traveled to the shelves across the room. She could just make out the photo of Sarah and Matt from her place on the couch. "At least they had a good time."

He offered her a sheepish expression. "I was kind of acting jealous, wasn't I?"

Amanda hesitated, and then plunged ahead. "Yes, but you weren't too bad. Lee, you know that people in love will do more for each other than they will for a parent. Think about all of the things you were able to talk me into doing. My mother could never have gotten that far."

"Well, I am glad you blew her off about Bryce Topping. And that Dan fellow. She really wanted you two to get married." He moved closer to Amanda.

"It was Dean."

He angled his head so he could nuzzle his lips against her neck and he spoke softly to her. "And there were several things I was able to talk you into doing…"

Sighing a little, Amanda was not quite deterred. "Well, you finally got me to shoot straight."

"And carry a gun. You needed the protection."

"Oh, but I hated it for a long time."

Lee did not answer, instead moving his mouth to her jaw.

She sighed more loudly this time. "I really need to make dinner."

Apparently Lee could tell her heart was not in it, because he ignored her again. This time Amanda stopped talking and kissed him back.

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Letting himself in the front door, Matt was greeted by the familiar chime of the alarm system. It was not armed, but his arrival had been announced upstairs. A mouth-watering aroma—he guessed it was pasta primavera with chicken—drifted down the stairs from the kitchen. And the sweet voice of his wife drifted down as well as she appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hello, dear. How was your day?"

Matt chuckled and took the stairs two at a time. He dropped his backpack at their feet and wrapped his arms around her. He did not just offer her a peck on the lips. Sarah gasped a little as if she needed air when the kiss ended.

"I can say it has ended very well. Nothing like coming home to the love of my life."

"I missed you, too, today. Kept daydreaming about the honeymoon. Finally I had to force myself to take notes so I wouldn't blush."

"You're blushing a little right now." Matt had not released her, and Sarah's arms were wrapped around him as well. He bent his head to kiss her again.

"Do you want to take this upstairs, Mr. Granger?"

His chuckle was almost raspy. "That would be tempting, but I think I'll help you finish getting dinner on the table. I wouldn't want to ruin your efforts by letting them get overcooked or something." He stepped away and picked up his backpack. "Just give me a sec to change my clothes and wash my hands."

"Take your time. The food isn't quite ready." She turned back to the kitchen.

"You know, I wasn't kidding about coming home to the love of my life. You're not just visiting here anymore."

As she turned back to him, his expression was so earnest, so sincere, that Sarah felt an ache in her chest. How had she managed to find such a sweet man? "I'm grateful for you, my love."

"Me, too." He smiled at her as he turned to go upstairs. Sarah was glad that she did not have anything planned for after dinner, and she hoped Matt did not have much homework in that backpack.

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After parting ways with Sarah as he had done the day before, Matt made his way to the bullpen alone. Rene was due in shortly. He was glad for the moment to clear his head. Perhaps it had been their separation yesterday and the newness of their marriage, but last night had been even better than the honeymoon. They had shared a few snippets about their day over dinner; Matt had insisted on cleaning up the kitchen while Sarah had disappeared upstairs. After reviewing his notes for class, Matt had gone looking for Sarah and ended up in their bedroom, where candles had cast a soft glow about the room. Then she had appeared in one of the lacy little lingerie things that she had worn on their honeymoon. They had eventually spent some more time talking. Sarah had even asked if they could read a Bible chapter and pray together, but that was much later, as they had snuggled together in their big bed.

Matt was drawn back to the present as the elevator doors opened to the level where the bull pen was located. He was early—Sarah had wanted to arrive before the other freshman agents so they would not be seen together. At least until she had had a few days to get to know them and gradually drop hints that she had background there. She was quite anxious about giving anyone a bad first impression or letting them think she had some kind of favored status.

That was anything but the truth, he thought to himself as he turned on his computer and settled into his chair. Wong may have been kind and friendly to Sarah yesterday, but he could be quite tough. Matt suspected the senior agent and freshman supervisor might be jealous, too. Matt was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

As nice as the night before had been, reality had hit as they talked on the way in to work. Matt had broken the news to Sarah about being followed on their honeymoon. Surprisingly, she had taken it well, almost as if she had expected it. Something about her response left him feeling more concerned about her than the thought of being followed. He said a brief prayer as he settled at his desk. Once his computer was up and running, Matt started catching up on emails and the overnight flash traffic reports.

Twenty minutes later Rene breezed in. "Hey, my man. You ready for more classes?"

"Hey Rene." Matt watched him idly for a moment and then turned back to his screen. "Yeah, I'm ready. But we need to stay in touch here. You'll want to read some of these, too."

Rene sat at his desk, turning to Matt as he waited for his computer to power up. "This whole cloak and dagger thing with the car, fake apartment, and all that. Do you think it will really work? After all, you were followed in Colorado."

"To be honest, I think it's a waste of time and money. I think they want to cover their behinds. These guys are too high tech to be fooled like that."

"Exactly."

"But we need to humor them for now. Just give it a few more days. I've seen this before. They'll get tired of it too, or someone will finally wise up."

"I just don't like exposing Patti. Or Sarah."

"I know what you mean." Matt turned back to his emails. "We might be stuck with that beater for a while. Even if the guys we're after are on to us, we can't drop our cover at UVa."

"I know. I was just hoping. The stupid car won't let us charge more than one phone at a time." Rene grew quiet as he scanned through his own inbox.

Narelle stepped out of Francine's office and over to Matt's and Rene's desks. "You two have a meeting in the conference room on level eight in half an hour. Francine, Lady Farnsworth, and the other need-to-knows will be there."

Rene looked at Matt and then back at Narelle. "We're supposed to be out in the field then."

"Francine knows your classes don't start until after lunch."

"We have office hours."

"Not until tomorrow. You gave her your schedule, remember? That means I had to add it to your case file."

"Thanks, Narelle. We'll be at the meeting." Matt thumped his partner's arm when Rene threatened to say something more. He waited until Narelle was seated at her desk once again before turning to Rene. "Show some manners, dude. She's just doing her job."

"I just get tired of her attitude. We're agents and she treats us like underlings because she works for the chief."

"Get over it. It's the truth. In her mind we're a couple of young jerks because you don't give her any respect. Neither do Gonzales or Johnson."

"Hey, speak for yourself, Granger. I've been very polite lately."

Matt turned in his seat to find Manny Gonzales standing behind them, a smug expression on his face. "Well, I guess that's good news."

"Don't get too excited, Granger. He's just trying to brown-nose so a certain civilian employee at the desk nearby will be all impressed." Ryan Johnson, who had walked up to their little group, was rolling his eyes.

Matt sat up tall in his seat so he could see over the top of his monitor. A new employee, a young woman in her early to mid-twenties, sat at what had been an empty desk. Petite and blonde, she seemed to be studiously ignoring the four agents. He grinned and turned back to the others. "Well, she doesn't seem to have noticed you, Gonzales."

"Oh don't get all smug with me just because you're married now, Granger."

Matt raised his eyebrows. "Just telling it like I see it." He turned back to his computer, then looked back over his shoulder, speaking quietly so she could not hear them. "Be yourself, Gonzales. If that doesn't impress her, do you really want to hang with her?"

"Says the expert." Gonzales's bravado was beginning to fade.

Rene snorted. "If you consider who he caught, I'd say to shut it and follow his advice, you moron."

Johnson elbowed Gonzales. "You know, Enriquez has a point."

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"Today we'll start off with a tour of the Agency. Now that you know what the various departments are, you'll get a chance to see what they look like." Wong continued on, describing how the floor plan of the Agency worked, and Sarah found herself tuning him out.

Matt knew they had been followed. Sarah felt a twinge of guilt for not telling Matt about the man who had followed them on the ski slopes and helped her up when she fell. It had been no coincidence that he had been right there to lend a hand. She needed to talk with Matt, but this morning there had not been enough time—she had not wanted to tell him just as he was arriving at work.

As for her training, the morning had started off well. While she had enjoyed talking with a couple of the other agents the day before, this morning she had chatted with a few more, including Grant Hill and Catherine Scott, as they waited for Wong to arrive. The others had sat quietly, going over their notes as they waited for class to begin.

Wong finished his lecture and soon the group had begun their tour, passing personnel as they headed for the bullpen.

Catherine, whom Sarah had been friendly with the day before, leaned in to whisper, "I'm not sure why we went to human resources again. We spent enough time there when they first hired us."

"But you probably took the one elevator they use for new recruits. Now that we know where our training classroom and the other elevators are, we'll be able to find it more easily."

Sarah's new friend looked at her strangely. "You seem to have this all figured out."

"Well, I've been here before as a civilian. Long story."

Catherine raised her eyebrows and glanced at Grant Hill. "You mean like Grant? He had that preliminary training."

"I also went through prelim."

Now Catherine eyed her speculatively. "They say there can be a ringer in the class."

"That's just a rumor."

"Maybe." Catherine eyed her again and then laughed. "I was kidding. That's cool that you could do the prelim. I know it helps if you haven't been in law enforcement before."

Wong glared at Catherine and Sarah. They were nearing the bullpen and he did not want them chatting.

Catherine was not to be deterred. She simply lowered her voice so she could finish her thought. "You analyst types probably don't have much weapons training." Catherine had been quite clear from the start that she had joined the Agency for the field work. She had spent four years working for a state police agency before being recruited.

Wong stopped the group as they reached the doors leading into the bullpen. He stepped inside, and finding that it was rather quiet due to the early hour, he led the group inside.

Sarah glanced quickly into the room, only to see her husband staring back at her while Rene, Ryan Johnson, and Manny Gonzales laughed about something. Sarah looked about the room and spotted Grace Tanaka staring at her computer screen. She hoped that it would not be long before she could work with Grace again. Grace understood her—they had befriended last fall and could read one another fairly easily.

Before the group could walk through the doors, Catherine was elbowing Sarah and whispering in her ear again. "Oh, my God. Do you see that hunk with those blue eyes? You should have seen the look he gave you just a second ago. If you don't go after him, I will. What I wouldn't do to have him for an overnighter. And the other three aren't so bad, either."

It was Grant's turn to elbow Catherine. "Check out the wedding rings on the two at the desks, Catherine."

"Oh, well. There's still two left. And the hunk has wandering eyes."

Sarah willed herself not to blush and kept her eyes on everything except the four agents who were still gathered in a cluster near Matt's and Rene's desks. She feigned interest as Wong stood near the display screen and communications equipment, explaining their use. At one point Francine stepped out of her office to greet the group. Sarah was grateful when her parents' friend and the chief of the field section did not single her out.

As they walked out of the hub of the field section, Sarah noticed that Matt and Rene had left. Gonzales and Johnson were busy at their desks, studiously ignoring the group.

Catherine elbowed her again as they walked through the doors. "Looks like your admirer was married. Too bad. It's just as well he left without saying goodbye."

Sarah was tempted to say something about the "hunk with the blue eyes" being married to her and that those eyes were grey, but she stopped herself and held up her left hand, waggling the ring finger as a visual reminder. The wedding set sparkled under the lights. "Well, since I'm married, too, I guess that settles that."

Catherine shot her a look that was partly astonished and partly apologetic. "That's right. I can't believe I forgot. You just got married. I'm sorry. Me and my big mouth."

"It's okay. Actually, I know those guys. I'll explain it to you sometime." Sarah wondered at Catherine's seeming forgetfulness. For a somewhat experienced law enforcement agent, she did not remember details well. At least the one about Sarah's married status. Or perhaps she was covering for a social misstep. Either way, Sarah determined to keep up her guard.

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Matt still was not sure why Emily Farnsworth would be associated with this case at the University of Virginia, but her continued work with MI6 still kept her in much more highly classified circles than the ones he was privy to in his pay grade. He settled into his seat, grateful for the chance to sit still in a quiet room. The thought of driving to and from the campus, changing out cars, and wearing disguises was already getting old and it was only the second day of what might be a long assignment. Then there had been all of the activity in the bullpen early that morning.

He had been caught off guard by seeing Sarah in the bullpen. Of course it made sense that Wong would give them a tour of the facility. It had been a slip on his part to look at her the way he had. He could not risk exposing their relationship until Sarah was ready. He doubted their tour would make it to this floor, too, but he would keep his eyes open.

Rene stepped back into the room. "Looks like everyone is on their way. They aren't walking very fast, though."

"Lady Farnsworth is eighty-nine. She's entitled to take her time."

"How does she still get to work in intelligence?"

"You'll figure it out when you see her in action. Lee and Amanda can't sing enough of her praises."

A few minutes later Francine was escorting Lady Farnsworth and her two assistants into the room. Phillip and Jamie, as well as two of their assistants, had tagged along.

Matt and Rene stood up as the others entered the room.

"Ahh, Matthew. So good to see you again. I hope you are enjoying married life." She offered her hand to Matt before turning to Rene. "Hello, Rene." At Francine's surprised expression, Emily waited until after Tristan helped her to sit and uttered, "We met at the wedding," by way of explanation.

"I must have missed that." Francine took a seat on one side of Emily. "Well, it seems that I won't have to be making introductions for you, then, Lady Farnsworth." Francine smiled briskly. "Matt and Rene, you've met Tristan and Margaret Bates."

Matt and Rene shook hands with the Bates, but Matt was wondering if they had intended to have their marriage made public. He recalled Lee and Amanda telling their story—or what little they had felt they could share.

Francine took charge again. "Well, everyone. We don't want to keep Lady Farnsworth for very long, so I'll just let her have the floor."

The veteran agent nodded politely to Francine and the rest of the group. "First off, please call me Emily. Lady Farnsworth is quite a handle, and we may be working closely together." She shifted in her chair. "Besides, you might notice I do not really have a British accent. I'm from California originally."

Matt caught Rene smiling at her manner. Apparently he was catching on to the reason Emily was still mentoring young agents and consulting with top intelligence networks, even when others her age would be enjoying retirement.

"Margaret, would you please prepare the slide show for us while I begin?" Emily adjusted her glasses and consulted the electronic tablet Margaret had placed in front of her. "I'm sure you've been hoping that this case would be cut and dried. Rene and Matthew would show up on campus, attract the attention of the terrorist network who is somehow stealing technology secrets under our noses, and just like that, it would all be over." She glanced around the room, making certain she had their attention.

"However, that is not how our target works. He has many people working for him with highly sophisticated equipment at their disposal. We know this because of the evidence he leaves behind. His ability to find the Grangers so easily was a perfect example." She glanced apologetically at Matt. "He never stays in one place long enough for us to catch him. Just as Phillip located his team in Winter Park, he vanished.

"As frustrating as that is, it is his trademark." She leaned forward. "However, I think there was a specific motive for following you to Winter Park, Matthew. I believe he was testing you, and perhaps Sarah." She paused, allowing the words to sink in.

Matt sat back in his seat, sickened. Could they never catch a break? The thought of this man close to his wife, after all they had been through last fall, made his gut clench.

"But do not let his behavior in Colorado disturb you too greatly. As much as his end goal is sinister—obtaining technology for the building of nuclear weapons—he does not seem to relish murdering people outside his inner circle. And he knows how to keep his people loyal. However, you are not yet in his inner circle. We hope to avoid having to go that far."

Seeing that Emily had paused in her speech, Matt cleared his throat.

"Yes, Matthew?"

"Besides this intelligence, what personal information do we have on the target? What's his name? Where does he come from?"

Emily nodded to Margaret and Tristan. Margaret turned off most of the lights in the room while Tristan began to speak. "We have only a first name—Jamal. As an arms dealer and terrorist, he has never used a last name, to our knowledge. He was educated in the United States—we have a few short recordings of his voice that show him to have a slight accent. Most likely he's from the Arabian Peninsula. But we cannot be certain which country originally." The projector displayed a satellite photo of a desert compound, then a short video with heat signatures. "We know where he lives now. He is a family man—there are four wives, several children, and possibly a concubine or two at his compound."

"A modern-day harem, then." Francine raised her eyebrows. "Any photos of the man himself?"

"We cannot be certain this is our man, but two different subjects claim they saw this man following them. There was plenty of evidence backing up their suspicions." Tristan let the slide show stop at a photo of a middle-aged man, perhaps forty. He was clean-shaven, with dark hair and eyes.

"How did we manage to speak to these subjects?" Rene was studying Jamal's face.

"We, too, have attempted this same operation at a university in England. However, it did not go well." Emily paused to offer a compassionate glance towards Matt and Rene, whose tense faces revealed their responses to that news. "Our goal is to make certain this operation is a success."

Rene was quick with his comeback. "This time? How can you be sure? We have wives to consider. This guy may not kill people up front, but he doesn't seem to hesitate if they don't cooperate."

"We can cooperate, Rene. The technology isn't real." Matt's mood did not match his brave words.

Just then there was a mild commotion in the hallway outside. Matt leaned back in his chair so he could see out the door. He thought he caught a glimpse of Wong and his new agents. Then the group paused outside their door as Wong was explaining something. He thought he heard Sarah's voice. Then he could just see her profile and her arm as she gestured to the window of the door. When Wong spoke again, her arm quickly dropped and Matt could see her pull out her phone as she moved away with the group. A moment later he received a text.

Inside the room, the group had been discussing the serious nature of the assignment, and the dangers it involved, but Matt had not been paying attention. He tried to attract Francine's and Rene's attention, but they were in a heated discussion with Phillip, who was making promises about surveillance. Giving up, Matt ran from the room, hoping to catch Sarah before they boarded the elevator. Sprinting, he made it just as the doors were closing, and stuck first his foot, then his hand inside.

"Excuse me." He smiled politely at Wong. "But I would like to borrow Agent Granger for a moment." He glanced around the group and spotted Wong's assistant, Dava. _Good. Wong might be willing to leave his group, since Dava could lead the tour for a few minutes._ If he could pull both Wong and Sarah, it would make Sarah's actions less suspicious. "We would like to talk with you, too, Agent Wong."

Wong's brow furrowed, but he slipped through the group and exited the elevator along with Sarah. As the doors closed, Matt led them away.

"What's this about, Granger? You can't just pull your wife—or me—out of training when you have the itch to do so."

Matt fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I pulled you both out of training so it would be easier to explain my actions. I won't keep you long. Sarah has information that may be critical to an operation we're discussing."

"All right then," he huffed, "but I'm coming along."

Matt was hustling Sarah, who still had not said a word, down the hall. Francine stood in the doorway, staring at the three of them. He released Sarah's arm and offered a brief explanation to Francine. "She saw the photo." He sent her a knowing look, but did not say anything more. Wong did not have clearance for information about this operation, and neither did Sarah.

Francine was brisk and authoritative. Matt guessed it was her way of preempting any protests. "Wong. Thanks for letting us borrow Agent Granger for a moment. Could you please wait for her out here?"

Matt took that moment to whisper in his wife's ear. "Sorry, honey. I know you didn't want to draw attention to yourself."

Sarah did not have time to reply, but simply nodded as Francine was ushering them into the room.

Matt addressed everyone. "My apologies for that rude behavior. However, Sarah may have information for us."

"Hello dear. I was hoping I would see you here today."

"Lady Farnsworth." Sarah seemed surprised. Matt guessed she had not been looking at the people in the room once she had seen the photo projected on the wall. She went over to Emily to take the older woman's hand in greeting.

"Your husband said you might have some information for us?"

Sarah stared at the wall, then over at Matt. "It was the same man." She stopped herself, obviously flustered at being the center of attention and becoming more so as she noticed her brothers for the first time. She cast an apologetic expression towards Matt. "He had been watching you on the ski slope. Then he was the one who helped me up. He offered to take me down to the bottom of the hill."

Matt felt a chill. He had guessed this might be what Sarah had meant, but the truth was making his stomach clench once again. "You didn't tell me."

"I know." Again, her expression was apologetic. "That's not all."

Now Emily took her hand, speaking in a soothing voice. "It's all right dear. I'm sure you two know what you are talking about, but the rest of us need some clarification. Please start at the beginning. This could be very important."

While Sarah had been rattled at first, she took a deep breath and took a moment to gather her thoughts. "While we were skiing last Tuesday at Winter Park, I noticed a man following us." She pointed at the projected photo on the wall. "That man."

Matt had been standing off to the side of the room, allowing Sarah to be the center of attention. He had known what Sarah had meant, but her words of clarification only drove the enormity of her meaning home. Jamal had definitely been there. Not only watching him, but Sarah, too. He took his seat, finding it too difficult to stand any longer.

"Then, later on, a snowboarder came up behind me and tangled with my skis, then hit me in the back so I lost control. When I fell, the same man who had followed us was there to help me up." She blushed now and Matt held his breath. So it had been Jamal there helping Sarah up. He had not been certain before, but he was now. He felt the icy chill once again.

"He asked me to ditch Matt and join him for drinks at the lodge." Now she seemed to have regained her courage. "I guess he didn't know we were married—Matt and I were wearing gloves, so he couldn't see our rings. I basically told him to take off."

Matt did not want Sarah to read his face, so he looked down at the table. This was not the first time she had told off someone who had tried to come on to her while Matt was out of earshot. The other time the guy had ended up on the floor, doubled up in pain. But this was different. Jamal was not afraid of killing. Knowing that Sarah would sense his turmoil, Matt schooled his expression to hide his distress. Sarah might misread his emotions and think he was jealous. She would need his encouragement right now. Somehow he managed to bring a faint smile to his lips as he looked up at her.

Sarah had not missed his expression and had offered him a small smile in return. Her shoulders seem to relax as she waited for further questions from the group. She had been afraid to tell him about Jamal. They needed to talk. Tonight. He did not want his wife's fear of making him jealous to put her at risk.

Phillip jumped into the conversation. "You told this guy," he waved his hand at Jamal's photo, "to take off, and he did?"

Sarah's eyes flitted to first Matt's, then Francine's. "Yes."

"You're lucky you didn't piss him off, Sarah."

Matt bristled at Phillip's senseless comment, but Sarah was ready to take care of herself. By her tone, Matt could tell her patience was wearing thin. "What would you suggest I do? Take him up on the offer?"

Francine was quick to interject herself into the verbal sparring. "Enough, kids." Casting a disapproving glance towards Phillip, she directed her next remark to Sarah. "You were wise to avoid any more contact with the man." Francine's expression invited only a positive response.

"Yes, ma'am."

"So what exactly did you say, dear?"

Sarah was grateful that Emily was trying to put her at ease. "I told him that my husband might not appreciate me going to the bar without him. Then I turned away and ignored him while I waited for Matt to come up the hill. After less than half a minute, the man skied away."

Emily Farnsworth raised her eyebrows, not surprised by Jamal's actions. "It sounds like he was satisfied with the result of his 'test.' He did not want Matthew to identify him easily. It seems likely that he has not yet found out that Matthew is an operative, or he would not have dared to come so close, and then simply disappear."

Jamie had been quiet the entire time, but he had not been sitting silently as his assistant and Phillip's had. Still clicking his mouse, he used the break in the conversation to interject. "Sarah, did you get a look at the snowboarder?"

"It was pretty quick. He was wearing a helmet."

"I got a decent look at him." Matt leaned forward, interested. "Why?"

"I was able to dredge up some photos of Jamal's recent known associates in the U.S. I checked backgrounds to see if any of them might be likely to have snowboarding experience. Four lived in states with ski resorts and were under the age of thirty." Jamie turned his computer around and began slowly paging through the four photos.

Just then Wong knocked on the window. Francine got up and went to open the door. It was barely open before Wong was talking. "Look, I need to get back to my agents. Is Sarah done here?"

"She'll be with you in just a minute. She has important information on a case."

Wong glanced at the assembled group and frowned. "I see." He looked at Sarah. "We'll be in the training room when you're done helping here." Before anyone could respond, he had stalked off.

Agitated now, Sarah glanced from Francine to Jamie. "I really need to go now, Jamie. They'll all wonder why I'm walking around the Agency on my own."

Matt thought he heard Phillip say something about Wong having "thrown her under the bus."

Jamie scrolled through the photos, but Sarah shook her head at each one. Matt stared at them intently, hoping to recognize a face or something. He thought back to the snowboarder, a thickset man, possibly in his early twenties. He had been experienced, of that Matt was certain, and his manner had been casual. Without intending to, he blurted out his next thought. "He reminded me of a surfer. Laid-back, casual, but intent. That's why he didn't fall. He was moving with the board like a pro."

Jamie cocked an eyebrow, then scrolled over two more photos before sitting back and letting Matt examine the image. It was two photos, actually. The one on the left was a close up of the man's face, while the one on the right was a full body image. "These were taken in Colorado in a small town off Interstate 70. We had the facial recognition software running on video and still images from cameras at towns near Winter Park during the first three days you were in Colorado. This image is taken from a video feed outside a restaurant. It's been enlarged and enhanced. Jamal is in several of the frames. Frankly, I'm amazed he did not see this camera. It must have been hidden."

"It just takes once. He's very good, but he's not perfect." Emily wore a satisfied expression as she waited for the Grangers to examine the photo.

Sarah spoke up first. "That could be him. He had long hair under his helmet. I remember the hair. It was dirty blonde. And his face was round like that."

Matt was more certain. "I believe that is him. I recognize the body type, too. Of course it would be helpful if we had video. If I could see his mannerisms…"

Emily watched Matt's face as her mouth curved up in a smile. "Very good, Matthew. It is more difficult to hid mannerisms and body type than a face. You've been trained well."

Embarrassed at the praise, Matt tried to brush it off. "One can cover up quite a bit when they are wearing a kameez."

"Loose clothing does hide things, but not mannerisms."

Sarah interrupted Emily and Matt's conversation. "Um, will you all excuse me? I really have to get back to my training."

Francine stood up. "I'll walk you back."

Matt watched as Sarah left the room with Francine. Phillip was trying to get Jamie's attention, but Jamie was too busy talking with his assistant about searching for video of the snowboarder.

Rene leaned over and whispered, "That was good of Francine after Wong left Sarah hanging high and dry. She's a pro at coming up with cover stories."

"Would you buy it? They've been hired because they're suspicious by nature. The thing is, these new agents have practically no clearance, so Sarah can't say anything about even helping with our case."

"I'm sure Francine will remind her of that."

"I'm not worried about her letting something slip. I just hope they all cut her some slack."


	5. Chapter 5

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Five

Francine was helpful, although Sarah wondered if she would be able to remember her story about assisting in research on a group of activists during her preliminary training. After Francine left the classroom, Sarah tried to look small in her seat as she took out her notebook and waited for Wong to resume his question and answer session about the tour.

"So, Agent Granger here has already done research on activists? Will we have that opportunity soon? It looked like an important meeting." It was Catherine asking the question. She stared over at Sarah for a moment.

"That isn't our concern. Don't ask too many questions about operations, Scott, or it could get you into trouble. Your clearance is limited at this point."

Catherine frowned. Several of the other agents eyed Sarah speculatively, but just as many, including Grant Hill, were focused on the next lesson.

Wong took them through over two hours of lecture before they broke for an early lunch. Sarah tried to catch up with Grant and two of the other female recruits, but Catherine was too quick.

"So, I saw it was our friend the hunk who pulled you off the elevator. I hope your husband can take Mr. Blue Eyes if it comes down to it." Catherine winked at her. "Good thing Wong was there to chaperone."

Sarah's step faltered. She had been contemplating all morning how to handle Catherine. This was her opportunity. _Tell the truth._ "He is my husband, Catherine." She waited for the news to sink in, but kept talking before Catherine could get a word in edgewise. Sarah needed to make the most of this opportunity. Catherine would be certain to spread the information to the entire class once she had the chance. "He was not pulling me off the elevator because I'm his wife, however. He's on an assignment, and I happened to be with him when we came across some useful information on the activists. They wanted my take on things."

It was Catherine's turn to falter. "Geez, Sarah. I'm sorry for those dumb remarks. I would never have guessed. Well, maybe it was that look he gave you for just a second there as we walked into the bullpen. He's as cool as a cucumber. Why were you two hiding it?"

"Frankly, it's known information everywhere but our class. We're trying to be professional at work and I didn't want to have the other new agents getting the wrong idea. He'll be training us in hand-to-hand."

"It sure doesn't seem like Wong is any easier on you than anyone else. If anything, he was kind of hard-nosed when you got back. Good thing Chief Beaman came along with you. You have friends in high places."

"She recruited me, actually. I really am hoping to work in Analysis."

"Well, it seems like they already want your help there. Too bad you have to go to all this trouble with field training."

"It is what it is." Sarah schooled her features. She did not need Catherine to see her frustration over the possibility that she might not work in Analysis at all. "Hey, would you mind if we caught up with the others? I've been wanting to get to know more of the other agents in our class."

"Sure. Grant Hill is a little young, but he seems pretty chill. Haven't met the two other women yet."

Sarah and Catherine increased their pace and soon caught up with the others as they boarded the elevator that would take them to the lunchroom.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Sarah was surprised to hear the alarm make a chiming noise instead of emitting its piercing activation warning when she entered their townhouse that evening. She was certain she and Matt had set the alarm when they left. "Matt?" she called, waiting for his answer as she hung her coat in the closet.

"Hey, sweetie." Matt was descending the stairs toward her when she turned. It was then that Sarah picked up the aroma of food. Her husband was heating up the leftovers from last night.

She climbed the stairs and met him halfway. He slid an arm around her back as they kissed, and guided her the rest of the way up the stairs until they were standing in the living room.

"You're home early. I was thinking you were still on campus or driving when we texted."

"We didn't hang around campus after class. Spent some time watching for Jamal and his known associates before classes, and got to know the other students a little. How did training go?"

"Well, it got a little more interesting. I told Catherine that you were my husband. She was making a big deal about you making eyes at me in the bull pen, that sort of thing. Then she was pretty interested that you called me out of the elevator."

Matt grimaced. His blunder had been noticed. "Sorry. I know better than to look at you that way at work."

"Don't worry about it. I think it was helpful, actually. It kind of spurred me on to make a decision about how to tell the others about my connections there. She was making a big deal about the four of you. She talks a lot without thinking, it seems. I decided she was the best person to spread the word."

"Are you afraid of her twisting the truth a bit?"

Sarah stepped out of her shoes and bent to pick them up. "I'm not sure what she could say that would be too harmful at this point. It just seemed better than spreading rumors. I did tell her that Francine recruited me."

"Well, I'm going to keep praying. From what you've said, she could be a loose cannon. I'm not sure why Wong hired her."

"Do you think she's a ringer? An agent from another city? Trying to trip us up?"

Matt gave that some thought. "Hard to say right now. I've met a lot of the other agents, and Rene has met even more of them. I don't recognize her. Besides, they hardly ever use ringers anymore."

Raising a finger in the air, Sarah's eyebrows shot up. "Oh! Before I forget, Mom and Daddy invited us over for dinner on Thursday. Do you think you can make it?"

"I should. If I get done early, like today, we can drive over together after you get home."

"Great! And I think meatloaf is on the menu."

Matt grinned. "Can't miss your mom's meatloaf."

"How was class?"

"Poor Rene. He's in above his head. Good thing Jamie has figured out a way to help him get the homework done. But he's on his own in class. I have to help him out a lot."

"I'd feel the same way. Engineering is not my thing."

"Listen, you probably want to change your clothes. Dinner will be ready soon." He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sarah's forehead."

"Thanks. You're right. I'll be down in a few minutes."

After Sarah had changed into sweats and socks and placed her hair in a ponytail, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen, where Matt was chopping the last of the vegetables for their salad. She waited for him to put the knife down, then wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his back.

"Tired?" Matt dried his hands on a towel.

"A little." She stepped away and opened the utensil drawer.

"I was kind of hoping we could talk about something."

She looked up, a question in her eyes.

He stood in front of her and placed his hands on her arms. "Were you afraid to tell me about Jamal propositioning you on the ski slope?"

Reddening, Sarah glanced down at the forks in her hand.

Matt cupped her jaw and gently tipped her face so he could see her. "Do you remember me saying something about expecting men to stare at you? I can handle it."

"This went beyond staring, Matt. I didn't want you to be upset. Or maybe hurt."

Matt dropped his hand back to her arm. "You are sweet to worry like that. Honestly, it does bother me to think that some guy might think he can come between us. But in our profession, there's the chance that a proposition could be more than what it seems."

"I guess I know that now. I can't exactly say I'm sorry, because I wish I didn't have to tell you stuff like that—especially in front of everyone at the meeting. But I do regret not telling you."

"Well, it turned out okay. He appears to have left Colorado that night, if Phillip's assistant is correct. And the fact that you happened along that hallway right when his photo came up on the wall was perfect timing. Lady Farnsworth was pretty tickled that you could help us out like that—help identify the snowboarder, too."

"You did that."

"Yeah, but we had to dredge up some video of him for me to be sure. Took forever. Rene and I were almost late to class."

"I guess God was watching out for us."

"He always is, sweetie." His reassuring expression faltered somewhat. "And about Jamal again. I just hope you aren't afraid of telling me things. You know, afraid of making me angry. I want you to think you can tell me anything. I love you and I want to be here for you."

Sarah leaned forward, allowing her arms to encircle her husband and burying her face in his sweatshirt. He smelled good—of laundry detergent, after shave, and Matt. When he hugged her back, the warmth of his embrace gave her a feeling of comfort and safety. He had to be tough to do his job well—he was courageous and capable of making life and death decisions. Yet he possessed a tender heart, and he was vulnerable where she was concerned. It was her turn to reassure him. "I always feel safe with you, Matt. Never doubt that." She leaned back a little and looked up in his still-troubled face. "I can't imagine being afraid of you. You're always gentle with me. I just don't want to hurt you—I love you."

At her words his face relaxed and he smiled uncertainly. When she hugged him again, she could feel the tension leave his body, almost as if he had been holding his breath, waiting for her response.

His words were a whisper, but Sarah could just make them out. "Thank you, God, for my sweet wife."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Matt parked the Charger in front of 4247 Maplewood and stepped out quickly, making it to the passenger side before Sarah could open her door. He helped her out and placed a hand on her back as they went through the gate and walked to the front door, which opened before they could reach it.

"Well, look who's here."

Sarah saw her father's tall figure in the doorway and smiled. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hey, Lee."

Lee was grinning, his dimple evident. He waited until Sarah and Matt were inside before bombarding them with questions. "How are the honeymooners? How is training going? Wong giving you trouble?"

"Slow down, Stetson. Give them a chance to catch their breath." Amanda reached for Sarah's coat, but Sarah leaned toward her and gave her a kiss on the cheek first.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi sweetheart." Amanda took a hanger from the closet and offered it to Sarah while Matt hung up his leather jacket. When he had finished, Amanda took his arm and planted a kiss on her son-in-law's cheek. "It's good to see you, Matt. You both look terrific."

Lee had preceded the group into the kitchen, where he was opening a bottle of Bordeaux. He looked up as they entered. "You might as well start talking. If I don't grill you, your mother will, but she'll just soften it up like a class C interrogation."

"Lee!" Amanda frowned disapprovingly.

"It's okay, Mom." Sarah's mouth turned up at the corners, seeming to enjoy her parents' bantering.

"Do I smell meatloaf?" Matt closed his eyes and sniffed, his expression growing dreamy as he took in the scent of his favorite dish.

"Yes, you do. Nice deflection, Agent Granger." He offered Matt a glance of approval as he finished pouring the wine.

He grinned and took the glass that Lee offered him.

Lowering his eyebrows and the deep, authoritative tone he had mastered as a section chief, Lee commanded, "Now, tell me all about it."

Ignoring his intimidating expression, Amanda jumped in. "First, you need to tell them who is coming for dessert."

Sarah was quick to reply, "Let me guess. Emily Farnsworth."

Amanda's eyebrows shot up. "You're right. Of course the Bates will be coming, too. We asked her for dinner, but Margaret confided that Emily was not up for a long evening. Apparently she's spending a lot of time at the Agency or working from her hotel suite."

Sarah glanced at Matt, encouraging him to reply. He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. She headed up a meeting the other day and has been giving me input on my case. Apparently she's an expert on the target."

"Whom you both have met."

Taken aback by her mother's comment, Sarah was surprised further that her husband had not reacted. "You knew about him?" She turned to Matt. "My parents knew?"

"I wasn't certain they knew, Sarah. I did tell you that I thought Emily might have told your family."

She was only slightly mollified. "Why did my parents know about this guy, and we didn't even know about him? He had his hand on my arm at one point." Sarah cringed at the thought of Jamal touching her.

"We didn't want to ruin your honeymoon, sweetheart. Call us misguided, but Francine convinced your father that the danger had passed, and you were protected. We couldn't bring ourselves to worry you."

Still miffed, Sarah conceded, "I guess I understand. I think we both wanted to forget about the guy once he had seemed to stop following us." She turned to Matt. "I guess that was an Agency car following us that day on the way to the lake."

Lee looked confused. "We never heard about you giving anyone the slip."

"I think it was a false alarm," Matt responded.

"Usually they tracked your phones and followed you from a distance."

Matt frowned, but did not say anything right away. After a moment, his expression lightened and he made an effort to sound cheerful. "Your daughter was impressive at the range this week and in hand-to-hand."

"But you're not biased." Sarah smirked, but her telltale blush gave away her pleasure at her husband's praise.

"There are several agents in your class who did well. But I think you caught them off guard. After all, didn't I hear them saying you had told them you were hoping to work in Analysis?"

Amanda's eyebrows raised as she brought the meatloaf to the stovetop and set it down on the unused burners. "I'm surprised you told them anything about yourself. I thought you were going to keep it hush-hush."

"That idea went out the window. It's a long story. I decided it was better to let everyone know and avoid any gossiping."

"That's a wise idea. Better to build unity on your team. You making any friends?"

"A few. There's one person I have reservations about—interestingly enough, she wants to hang out with me the most."

Amanda glanced at Lee, who inquired, "Why do you have reservations?"

"She's pretty nosy for a former cop. I've met some friendly cops, but they usually respect people's privacy." Sarah decided not to mention the entire matchmaking incident. It would only embarrass Matt and annoy her father. "Also, she is inconsistent."

Lee seemed intrigued at his daughter's insights. "How so?"

"She's a crack shot, but her hand-to-hand skills seem to be hit or miss. It seemed far too easy to take her down. Also, she's very perceptive about some things, and clueless about other things. Even Grant Hill, the guy who trained with Leatherneck, was pointing it out to me. He's not sure if he can trust her, either."

"You and Grant Hill buddying up?" Matt sounded nonchalant, but Sarah could see in his eyes he was not.

"He's friends with several people. He doesn't hang out with me more than anyone else. I think he's okay."

Matt seemed mollified at that. "You two are among the youngest in the class. I noticed he paired up with one of the other men during hand-to-hand—Nelson, I think."

Amanda, who had noted the interchange, took that opportunity to break in. "Well, dinner is ready, so let's get to it. Emily will be here before you know it. I'm sure your father would like to hear how the skiing was." Amanda grabbed the hot mitts and went to the oven door.

"And if Wong is behaving himself." Lee picked up the salad and walked out to the dining room with it.

"Don't be so hard on him, Daddy. It would look bad if he played favorites with me."

"Yeah, like sending you to Analysis. After all, they only promised you a job there when you were hired. New York, my—"

Amanda cleared her throat and interrupted her husband. "Perhaps Francine can still do something about it. No one has decided to send Sarah to New York yet."

Sarah's eyes shadowed, but she was upbeat with her answer. "I still have months of training before we'll know." She watched Matt as he turned away. The possibility of them working in two offices, hundreds of miles apart, was very real. She would have to commute, and they might have to move to a cheaper apartment so she could stay overnight during the week.

Lee was quiet as they sat down at the table. He always deferred to Matt for the saying of grace when the four of them ate together.

After Matt had prayed, Amanda made small talk with Sarah about their time in Colorado. When there was a lull in the conversation, Lee spoke again. "It's not likely they'll let you both work in New York, but there's a need in San Antonio. Have you thought of relocating there? You wouldn't be too far from your family, Matt."

Glancing at Sarah, Matt hesitated. She waited for him to say what she knew was on his mind. He spoke slowly. "Sarah and I have had this conversation more than once. I feel pretty strongly about taking her away from her family. I'm sure my parents would love to have us nearby, but we would still be two or three hours from their house. I think Sarah should be near y'all. As for me, I like being near you folks, too."

Amanda was sober. "That means a lot, Matt. But your marriage is what's most important. Everything has a season. You both might be able to move back to D.C. after gaining some seniority."

"I wish we could offer you a position with our consulting firm, but we don't even work full time." Lee was apologetic.

A faraway look appeared in Amanda's eyes. Lee watched her for a moment before she acknowledged his expression.

"I wish I could read your minds sometimes—you two have mastered the nonverbal exchange." Sarah glanced between her parents and rolled her eyes.

"It takes years of practice. You two are only just getting started." Lee offered them a superior grin, his eyes twinkling. He turned to Matt. "So, how's the case going? Getting tired of being undercover yet?"

"Do you want my honest answer?" Matt grinned sardonically as the conversation turned to the superficial elements of his case.

Sometime later, after the dinner dishes had been cleared and the table reset for the three additional guests, the doorbell rang. Sarah and Matt stood together out of the way while Lee and Amanda answered the door and greeted Emily Farnsworth and Margaret and Tristan Bates. Always reserved, the Bates greeted everyone in their quiet manner, while the sociable Emily put everyone at ease. Amanda noted that she seemed more fit than she had been at the wedding. Her hair was snowy white now, her face had aged over the years, and there was a stoop to her posture, but Emily was still capable of taking charge in her usual gracious way. Soon the group was seated around the dining room table, eating Amanda's cake and drinking tea or coffee.

They had been chatting about Sarah and Matt's honeymoon, the weather, and Emily's favorite Washington, D.C. tearoom when there was a lull in the conversation. Emily turned to Sarah and Matt.

"I think you know after the meeting this week that Jamal is not to be dealt with lightly."

"Yes, ma'am." Matt was quick to respond, while Sarah sat quietly.

"Then you'll understand the seriousness of the need to catch him red-handed? He must be prosecuted, not merely captured." She stared down at her plate for a moment. "There was a day when he would have been dispatched long before this point." She looked up again. "But he is high profile and both of our governments want to set an example."

Sarah's brow furrowed and she glanced around the room. Matt's face set in a grim line, as did Tristan's. Her father and mother were staring down at their plates, as was Margaret. "Surely he would be convicted first? Innocent until proven guilty? What has he done that would make him the target of an assassination? I thought that didn't happen anymore."

"My dear, you must know that he is merely one of many generals in a war—he is an enemy to both of our countries."

"You mean he is a terrorist?"

Matt shifted in his seat, appearing as if he was ready to leave. "Lady Farnsworth, if I may. With all due respect, I think Sarah and I will say our goodbyes. It's bad enough Jamal knows we're married—I'm constantly watching our backs, wondering if he's figured out who we really are. I'm hoping Rene and I can get to the bottom of things without involving our wives. I don't want Sarah involved in this. We went through enough with the cartel." Matt stood and placed his hands on the back of Sarah's chair, preparing to help her up. "Besides, I report to Francine, and I'm not comfortable discussing this case, which is classified, here."

Sarah's eyes went to her parents, but she moved to get up and follow Matt.

Lady Farnsworth's voice was authoritative now, her British mannerisms gone, replaced with a steely determination. "Please sit down, both of you." She waited until they were seated. "If you check your phones, you'll find an encrypted email from Francine to both of you, authorizing this discussion."

Both checked their phones for the email. Sarah turned to Matt. "Francine says she wants my parents in on the conversation, too, since it indirectly involves their client. She says you're to be my senior agent, whatever that means."

Lee and Amanda exchanged knowing looks, but remained silent.

"It means we're working as partners on official Agency business." Matt's face remained cool, but his eyes had grown steely gray. Sarah had rarely seen him this angry.

The young couple sat down, but Matt was not deterred. "Lady Farnsworth, despite your good reasons for talking about the case, I'm not comfortable with involving Sarah. She is a new agent, unfamiliar with the ways of men like Jamal and his cronies. It was Tommy, one of his men, who caused Sarah's wipeout on the slopes. She could have been badly injured. As much as I'd enjoy working with my wife, I'd like it to be something less dangerous. I'm already working with a partner on this case."

Laying a hand on Matt's arm, Sarah gave him a silent cue to allow her a chance to break into the conversation. She spoke quietly, but confidently. "With all due respect, Emily, Matt is right. I'm not trained to deal with this man. I can barely handle a gun and some minor hand-to-hand."

It was Amanda who finally silenced their protests, reminding Matt of his days as a freshman agent under her supervision. "I'm not too thrilled about either of you being involved with someone like Jamal—he's one of the trickiest out there. But you need to hear Emily out." She regarded her daughter for a moment, her eyebrows raised. "Don't undersell your abilities. I've seen you handle a gun. And I know you can take out men much larger than you are." Gazing at Lee, her voice was soft at her next words. "This is how your father and I got started, you know."

Sarah nodded at her mother's words, but did not say anything.

Emily was grave as she spoke again. "I am not authorized to disclose all of the information we have on Jamal." She glanced at Matt, who besides Tristan and Margaret Bates was the only one who was authorized to hear the details. She cleared her throat. "Suffice to say we all understand he is a terrorist."

Now she gazed at Sarah as she spoke. "I have worked with the Stetson family for two generations, but that number will now be three. Whether your husband likes it or not, Sarah, you will be involved in this operation. Jamal has not given us any choice. And as much as we respect Agent Enriquez's abilities, Jamal has decided on Matthew. He put Matthew through a test, watching for his reactions when he followed you to Winter Park and again on the ski slopes." She cast her gaze briefly at the others in the room. "However, we cannot discount the attention he has paid to Sarah. He has a fondness for beautiful women."

Matt was not alone as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat—he eyed Lee's troubled expression and with a sickening realization felt as if they were encountering the cartel all over again.

Emily had not missed the exchange, directing her next words to the two men. "That is not to say he'll be carting off our dear girl to some ghastly harem. I just want to emphasize that he will want to make Sarah a part of whatever plan he's concocting." Now she was staring at Matt. "Matthew, I'm afraid you have no choice but to work with your wife on this operation, despite the fact that none of us want to see her involved. It's the only way we can play along with Jamal and catch him this time."

"How do you know? How do you know so much about this man?" While Matt had not dared to challenge Lady Farnsworth in the meeting two days earlier, he felt bolder in the Stetsons' home, knowing that Lee and Amanda were as concerned for Sarah's safety as he was.

A weary sigh escaped the elderly woman's lips. "We had a man on the inside for some time."

"Had?"

"Unfortunately the poor lad had no formal training. He was more of what we used to call a 'snitch' in the old days." Lifting her teacup to her lips with a shaking hand, Emily took a sip of the now cool liquid. "Jamal prides himself on not killing people recklessly, but he will not hesitate to kill anyone who is a threat."

After glancing back and forth between her parents and Matt, Sarah turned to Lady Farnsworth. "Emily, I don't think you're reassuring my husband or my parents."

"Lady Farnsworth, if I may clarify for the Grangers."

Emily sighed again and sat back in her chair. "Please do, Tristan."

"As long as you can maintain your covers and do not reveal that you are operatives, you will appeal to Jamal's good nature. While his motives to bring advanced technology to the nuclear weapons industry in his country are far from humanitarian, he pretends to think that what he is doing at the universities is helping the students. He will pay you generously and promise you refuge once you have finished your work for him."

Sarah interrupted him. "How many students and engineers have received refuge?"

Tristan smiled ruefully at the young woman's hopeful expression. "Not very many, I'm afraid. Once they learned of Jamal's true intentions, most of them balked. That is a deadly mistake I believe your husband knows not to make. He has been instructed to play along until the end."

Surprising everyone, Margaret entered the conversation. "We have full confidence in Matthew and Rene's abilities." Turning to her husband, she continued, "However, Jamal seems to have chosen Matthew to be his mule." Emily's assistant hesitated, waiting for Tristan's nod. When he gave it, she went on, "And he doesn't plan to wait much longer to make his move."

Matt was somewhat agitated at this news. "But I've hardly begun classes. I don't have access to all of the facilities until I develop my research project. What will he expect of me?"

Emily took charge of the conversation again. "My dear boy, he will be telling you what research project to pursue. That is why he targets the new students. To win their loyalty before they become loyal to the school and their fellow students and professors."

"Win my loyalty? Francine mentioned something about Jamal getting me to see his side of things…"

"Exactly. He will tell you stories of his poor country and its need for technology so it will not be dependent upon foreign aid. Nuclear energy, technology for industry and medicine. Just don't ask too many questions about the country. Let him think he's played on your emotions. The more you stay in the dark, the more you will have seemed to have bought into his story."

"These are not stupid people he's recruiting." Matt ran a hand through his hair. "They've figured out that he's simply a mercenary buying technology to further the war against the U.S. And using our technology to do it."

"Precisely."

Sarah joined in the conversation again. "Only, they let Jamal know they were on to him."

"Yes, my dear. If you and Matt play your parts carefully, we should have enough information on Jamal before too long."

Sarah glanced at Matt and frowned. "But I'm not involved yet. How do I figure into this?"

"He may not contact Matt at the campus. And it will be a time when he's least expecting it. Another test, most likely. And you may very well be there. Of course we may need you to wear a wire at some point, but we'll have to weigh the risks when we do." Emily sat back in her chair, obviously exhausted, and allowed Tristan to take over the discussion once again.

"With all due respect, ma'am, Jamal is a bright one. He'll know if we have surveillance equipment in the area monitoring a wire." He glanced at Matt before regarding Sarah once again. "We must also consider that if he were to try to make close contact again, his technical team might detect the wire—and wonder why Sarah would be wearing one. We'll have to rely on you both to alert us if you encounter Jamal or anyone who may seem to be working with him."

"Of course we will. As for the wire, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks at this point." Matt glanced around the group, his eyes settling on Lady Farnsworth. "We should say good night. Sarah and I have an early start every day, and it's getting late. Thank you, Lady Farnsworth, for making a special trip here to warn us about Jamal and brief us further on the case. I apologize for being testy earlier." He rose from his seat and helped Sarah from hers.

"We did not give you much warning." Emily's tone was apologetic. "I wish we could have included your partner as well, but unfortunately, Jamal saw differently."

Sarah went to hug the longtime family friend. "You have always looked after our family, Emily. Thank you." Sarah shook Tristan and Margaret's hands.

Emily was still regretful. "I wish we could have visited under different circumstances."

"Perhaps we still can after this is all over." Matt was doing his best to be congenial after the earlier confrontation.

Emily smiled at the young couple as they said their goodbyes to Lee and Amanda and retrieved their coats from the foyer.

Once they had left, Lee and Amanda returned to the dining room. Lee gazed at Emily expectantly.

"You want me to comment, Lee."

"I know you want to say something, Emily."

"He's a fine young man, Lee. I know he's a remarkable agent, willing to risk his own life to protect others. Certainly one could not ask for more from one who is serving their country."

"But?" Lee knew what she was going to say, but he wanted Emily to voice the words out loud. If he was the one to say them, Amanda would be too frustrated with him to see reason.

"But he's fiercely protective of Sarah."

"He knows she can protect herself," Amanda put in.

"To a certain extent, but he believes he is the one who is ultimately responsible for her safety. That can be an asset and a liability."

"It's made him an ideal target for Jamal."

"Precisely. Which makes him an excellent agent of choice for this assignment. However, he is also vulnerable. It will be his weakness."

"It's why I left the field, eventually." Lee's voice was rough with remembrance.

"Excuse me," Amanda had had enough. "We left the field together. Those feelings go both ways, Scarecrow."

Lee ran his hand through his hair, as if he were reliving that time. His voice was quiet. "Amanda, it was for Sarah that we left the field, not just out of concern for each other."

Amanda stared at her husband. "You're right. I was thinking of the second time I was shot. It was rather minor, but…" She turned to the others. "We left the field because we did not want to leave our daughter or our sons without parents." She did not need to finish her thought. Emily had been close to Jennifer and Matthew Stetson before their deaths, but she had been forced to watch their son grow up from a distance while his uncle the colonel had raised him. Now the older woman's expression was grave.

Lee had turned away for a moment, but now he was facing the group. "They're adults, and they will make their own choices. Perhaps one day they will decide that it's time to leave the field. Until then, we can support Matt and encourage him to trust Sarah to take care of herself. I know his intentions are good—he doesn't mean to smother her."

Tristan was helping Emily from her chair as she spoke. "Certainly it's understandable for him to be protective, after all they have been through." She slipped her arms into her sleeves as Margaret helped her with her coat. "Thank you, Lee and Amanda, for hosting us tonight. I'm sorry it had to be about business."

"We're used to it, Emily. You know that. And we appreciate being included."

"It's likely that your client's interests at the University of Virginia will be Jamal's target. You needed to know what was going on."

"Francine says she plans to bring us in on this one—for oversight or whatever she is using for an excuse."

"One can't blame her for mining your talents. I certainly have on more than one occasion." Emily winked and offered them a knowing look.

After they had finished saying goodbye to their guests, Lee followed Amanda into the dining room and helped her clear the dishes. She was silent as she worked, and he watched her warily.

She had been loading the dishwasher when the dam finally burst. "This is all Richard Wong's fault. If he would just let Sarah work in Analysis, she wouldn't have to be in the field. Matt has an excellent record in the field. I know he can handle himself. He's always dreamed of doing what he does. But Sarah…" Amanda's hands were trembling as she went to pick up another plate.

Lee took her hands and held them. "You weren't a likely operative at first, but you did very well in the field, Amanda. You learned to handle yourself—you helped get us out of a number of scrapes and brought down your share of bad guys."

"It was a different world then, Lee."

"Was it really?"

Amanda stared up at him. "I know. We just need to trust our daughter to take care of herself."

Lee did not say anything more as he wrapped his arms around his wife.


	6. Chapter 6

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Six

Glancing over at Sarah, Matt noted her rigid posture and her averted face. She had not said a word to him since they had left her parents' house, although he had tried several times to draw her out. He gave it another effort. "So, is there anything you want me to do when we get home? I already started fixing our lunches for tomorrow. I could make the sandwiches..."

"Thanks, but I can do the rest in the morning."

Matt could not remember ever hearing Sarah speak in that tone of voice to him. Well, perhaps that time that she thought he had been fooling around with another woman while he was on assignment in Kazakhstan. Yana. He and the Kazakh girl had hardly been romantic—in fact, she had nearly killed him with some unstable Chinese drug. He and Sarah had ironed out that misunderstanding rather quickly. And it had been the first time he had told her he loved her. Now she was upset with him again. Very upset, and Matt did not know why. "Sarah, please tell me what I've done wrong."

Perhaps it was the desperation in his tone, but his wife finally relented and turned to him, her voice flat. "You don't want me to work with you."

"Of course I want to work with you." Matt turned into the parking lot leading to their townhouse. "What made you think otherwise?"

"You said it yourself. 'As much as I'd enjoy working with my wife, I'd like it to be something less dangerous. I'm already working with a partner on this case.' I know you are loyal to Rene, but did you have to sell me short in front of everyone?"

"I wasn't selling you short. And you agreed with me. You even made a point of saying so." Having parked the Charger in front of their garage, Matt turned off the engine.

He was about to say more when Sarah burst out, "There's a difference between feeling inadequate to cover your husband's back and knowing your husband has no confidence in you."

Matt ran a hand through his hair. "Oh God. Is that what you think?"

Sarah did not bother to answer. She was out of her seat and attempting to put a key in the front door lock before Matt could collect himself enough to exit the car. By the time he had entered their foyer, she had disappeared upstairs. The sound of muffled sobs faded upstairs and a door closed.

Matt had to give Sarah credit. At least she had not slammed the door to their bathroom. He slowly climbed the stairs to the living room, praying for the words to say to his distraught wife. It was not like her to be unreasonable like this, and he knew a small part of her behavior might be from being overtired. He went to the kitchen, a gut feeling telling him not to follow his first instinct and rush to console Sarah. He needed time to think about her words. Noting the hour on the oven clock, he saw that despite the long evening at the Stetsons, it was still not past their usual bedtime. Not that their usual bedtime mattered tonight. They did not usually go to sleep right away. First they might read together—a chapter from the Bible and perhaps one from another book—and then… He doubted Sarah would be in the mood for anything but sleeping tonight.

_Face it, Granger. You screwed up. Sarah may be overtired after the pressure of work, but this is your problem. _Matt thought of the words that his wife had parroted back to him. _How could I have been so tactless? I'm not usually this stupid. And I lost my temper with Lady Farnsworth, of all people. A sweet, elderly woman with a lifetime of experience to my few years in the field. I should have been eating up that time with her. _Matt sank into a chair, his elbows on his knees.

It had been so easy to manage the strain of the job when it had been just a quiet apartment to come home to and no one else to worry about. During the years in Afghanistan, when there was always the danger of a roadside bomb, being discovered while on assignment undercover in a Taliban-controlled village, or simply being shot by a sniper, Matt had found release in prayer or Bible reading and in the few friendships he had allowed himself. He had not grown close to more than just a few others, even distancing himself from the men in the Bible study he had joined, out of fear that one day he might find out that his good buddy had been killed or maimed for life while out on patrol.

That habit had stayed with him after he had been stationed in Belgium, only making a few friends there. After being pressured by those buddies to go out with a few girls with whom he had found no connection, he had given up on dating, deciding to wait until the right woman came along before pursuing anyone again. After his move to D.C., he had not pursued friendships either, only growing close to Rene and perhaps Amanda, who in her motherly fashion took the time to get to know each of her agents.

Meeting Sarah and becoming close to her had helped to bring down those walls. Over the last several months he had allowed himself to form friendships with the other agents, his pastor, the Stetson family, and of course Sarah. Now that they were married, they were even closer than before. Gone was the strain of holding back with his physical affection when they were alone. Before they had married, Matt and Sarah had talked most nights on the phone before going to sleep. Now they lay in bed together each night during that time, usually wrapped in one another's arms, as they shared their most private thoughts with each other.

The relationship with Sarah, the most important and most beloved of his life after his relationship with God, had also been the most challenging one he had ever known. They had been through so much together. Despite enduring terrors and dangers that most young women or men could not comprehend, Sarah had remained sweet and endearing, yet she had also grown stronger. He was not giving her that credit. Instead, he had hurt her—humiliated her—in front of her family and their friends. Married less than two weeks, they had already had an argument that had left his wife crying in their bedroom alone, and it had been his fault. He rose stiffly from his sitting position and went upstairs.

Light from the bathroom, its door now ajar, illuminated their bedroom. Sarah's slim form could be seen under the blankets of their bed, looking small and alone there. Matt's heart constricted as he heard what sounded like a sniffle. He ducked into the bathroom and quickly brushed his teeth and changed into pajama bottoms and a clean t-shirt. His feet were growing cold, so he slipped on some socks before turning off the bathroom light.

Sliding under the covers quietly, Matt was uncertain. He listened carefully, but Sarah's breaths were quiet, as if she had stopped crying, but was still awake. He moved closer to the middle of the bed. Expecting to find it warmer as he drew near to his wife, he was surprised to find that the bed was as cold there as it was on his side. He remembered the one time he and Sarah had shared the bed before their marriage. When he had made the decision to forgo the couch and sleep under the covers with her, it had been merely to help her warm up and calm her down after a long crying jag. The next morning it had taken all of his self-control to leave the bed without touching her.

Now he imagined that she was cold from being distressed. And he needed to start talking so he could hopefully make things better. He took a deep breath before plunging in. "Sarah. I want to apologize. I didn't think about how my words sounded. I'm so sorry I hurt you—embarrassed you—in front of everyone. There's no excuse." He waited for her reply, but when she said nothing, he continued. "I think you are an amazing woman and a fine agent. You already know how to handle yourself in a crisis. There isn't anyone I'd rather have covering my back."

While he was speaking, Matt had raised himself up, his weight on one elbow. Now, when Sarah did not respond, he sighed and lay down on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He felt a pang in his chest once again, but this time more out of desperation than pity. Had his actions really been unforgiveable? Sarah had given him grace for more than one blunder. Now Sarah was shutting him out in a way he had never experienced with her before. A tear escaped and ran down his cheek into his ear. He reached up to swipe it away.

"It was lonely in bed without you." Matt felt more than heard Sarah inching closer to him. "I'm sorry I overreacted. I was being prideful, and I was too hard on you. You've been through so much, protecting me from evil people, saving my life. You're a hero. I'm an idiot for giving you a hard time."

"You don't have to apologize, Sarah. I was wrong. And as for all of those things I've done, I did them because I love you and I would do anything to protect you." After a brief pause he quickly amended, "If you needed my help."

"Honestly, I'm relieved you're the senior agent. You know I trust Rene, and Grace has been great, but of all the agents there, I'm the most comfortable with you. We understand each other—I know how you think." She was silent a moment. "Frankly, Jamal creeps me out."

"And I'm terrified that he could hurt you. He treats women like property."

"But remember my code name? Sparrow?"

Sighing, Matt rubbed his hand over his face. "Yes. You're right. I need to remember that God is watching over you."

"He is, and you are, too. But we're a team." He was reaching out to her as she drew alongside of him, placing her body next to his as she raised herself up on one elbow. She ran her hand through his hair and he closed his eyes, enjoying her touch and the sound of her voice. "We'd help each other. I want to be there for you, too, Matt." She leaned down to kiss him, tasting like salt and peppermint—tears and toothpaste.

"I hope this means I'm forgiven."

"Of course I forgive you," she persisted. "I love you like crazy because you're willing to put up with a cranky, hormonal woman who doesn't appreciate you enough."

"I don't put up with you. And you've told me you appreciate me. I need to say those words more to you." With his thumbs he wiped the remaining tears from her face. "You're cold." He ran his hand over her back and pulled her against him.

She kissed him again and this time he slipped his hand under her shirt, caressing the skin of her back lazily as the kiss deepened. When it ended, she murmured against his lips, "Yes, but I won't be cold much longer."

Matt's chuckle was muffled by yet another kiss.

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The next evening Matt and Sarah ordered in a pizza and watched a DVD. Matt was determined to relax with his wife, and he deflected Sarah's attempts to talk about work. After the third try she gave up, hoping that he would eventually share what had transpired between him and Rene.

It was not until the next morning, as they were preparing for their run, that he finally said something. "Rene was really put out that he's been taken off the assignment—at least as an operative."

Sarah was on the living room floor, leaning into her hamstring stretch. "But he'll still go to classes with you? Or not? He's still watching your back, right?"

Matt stood perched on the edge of the stairs nearby, working on his calf muscles. "Yes, but that doesn't help at all. He's in above his head with the classes. You know I have that homework to do at the campus."

"But you said you could get it done while I'm having coffee with Christina this afternoon. Didn't Jamie make arrangements to do Rene's work?"

"Yes and yes. It's all preliminary stuff for choosing our research project. Jamie is even helping me somewhat. He's figured out what might interest Jamal and steering me in that direction so I'll have access to the right research facilities."

"Then what's the beef?"

"Rene's out of his element, he feels hamstrung—I couldn't even make him feel better that he'd be at less risk. They have a baby on the way. You'd think he'd be glad."

"But you understand why he's upset. He didn't sign on for waiting on the sidelines."

"Exactly. But I also can't help I was the one chosen. He's never given me the cold shoulder before. He wouldn't even talk to me in the car. He only spoke on campus so it wouldn't look strange. He's only going along this afternoon because he has to provide backup."

Sarah sat up and watched her husband as he began stretching a new set of muscles. "I guess you've gotten the cold shoulder a lot lately."

"Hmm? Oh." Matt regarded her with a fond expression. "I think we've moved past that, don't you?"

She blushed, but that did not stop her from replying. "Yes. Definitely. But now you have Rene upset with you."

Matt stood and went to the chair where he had left his jacket. He pulled it on and reached in his pocket for his gloves and stocking cap. The weather was due to change that morning, possibly during their run. "I can't blame him. I wanted to tell you about it so you could pray with me that we would work it out."

Sarah finished tucking her stray hairs into her own hat as she came over to her husband. "Of course. Let's say a prayer before we head out on our run."

Thirty minutes later they were running along a path in the greenbelt a few miles from the apartment.

Matt was distracted by a man jogging slowly ahead of them along the trail. "On your left," he called as they passed.

The wind was just beginning to pick up when Matt heard Sarah gasp next to him as she almost stumbled. Concerned, he swiveled his head toward her and their pace slowed. "You okay?"

"I'm not sure. I think I just saw him."

"Who?"

"You know." Sarah did not want to say his name out loud, in case Jamal could somehow hear them.

Matt scanned the woods near the path where they continued to run at a slower pace. His first instinct was to grab his wife's hand and sprint away, but the goal of their assignment was to connect with Jamal. If he was out there, they needed to give him a chance to find them. He forced his eyes back to the path, not wanting to look too much like an agent who was always assessing his surroundings. "Pick up the pace to where it was. We don't want to look like we know something."

Sarah subconsciously moved closer to Matt as they ran, concentrating on maintaining her usual pace and trying to look normal. But then she saw Jamal again on the path that would soon connect with theirs. "There he is."

But as she said the words, Jamal switched course and veered off on a side trail—a shortcut made by runners who wanted to get to yet another path that cut through the greenbelt. Unless they sprinted to catch up, he would soon be lost among the trees.

"I don't see him."

"He went off that way." Sarah gestured towards where she had seen Jamal, but it was useless. The man had vanished. "Maybe if we sprint, we can overtake him."

"Forget it, Sarah. He doesn't want us to meet up with him right now. He's sending some sort of message. Maybe trying to rattle you. He probably thinks I don't know who he is."

"Well, he rattled me alright." Sarah was glad to run off some of her frustration before they went back home to eat breakfast.

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After lunch, Matt was sitting with Rene in the library, ostensibly taking advantage of the facility's reference works and other resources. It was mostly a show, as Jamie's team had provided much of the information they needed. Rene had been silent—sullen, really—as he sat at the table and pretended he was working on his thesis project.

Matt was bent over a book when a shadow fell across it. Surprised, he wondered if it was Rene's way of saying without speaking to him that he was ready to go. But as Matt looked up, Rene was still in his seat, attempting to hide his alarm. Turning, Matt could see the reason for his partner's sudden show of nerves. Jamal was standing by their table. With his dark hair and eyes and rather light skin, Matt had no trouble understanding how the man could blend into a crowd. His appearance was not striking—while some women might find him attractive, he was rather average looking. Yet with the grey hair beginning to show at his temples and his distinguished bearing, he commanded a degree of respect.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Jamal's voice was soft. He did not want to attract attention in the library. Matt was not surprised to find his mastery of English was excellent. "As an engineer myself, I could not help but notice your area of interest. I take it you're pursuing a graduate degree."

"That's correct." Matt was aloof, not wanting to seem overeager.

"My recent studies in nuclear engineering may be of interest to you. Perhaps you'd like to hear of the project I'm working on."

"I'm sure you've got enough to do without entertaining a couple of first year Master's students." Matt smiled hesitantly, hoping Jamal would find his reaction normal. It was not so hard to act out this part. Jamal was unnerving.

"I'm looking for a research assistant at this university. We are trying to develop a joint project with several universities and technological firms. It does require some commitment, but I'm hoping that the benefits to your education and career will be worth it for you. Along the way, you may feel good for furthering the development of clean energy in my native country."

Rene's eyebrows lifted.

Matt was about to respond when Jamal began speaking again. "I should be more honest. I came here looking for you." He directed his gaze at Matt. "Your previous studies are a perfect match for us. I spoke with your advisor yesterday and he said you would probably be here today."

Matt wanted to ask how Jamal would know what they looked like, but he knew better. Jamal would simply make up an answer. The man probably had not spoken to Matt's advisor. It was likely that he had accessed all of the graduate students' and teaching staff's files by hacking into the university's database.

"You know an awful lot about me, but I haven't even seen a business card or something to that effect."

Jamal produced a card, and handed it to Matt. "Let's walk outside before a librarian hushes us." He glanced at Rene, who remained seated as Matt thought for a moment or two.

Finally, as if weighing the risks had helped in his decision, Matt nodded his assent and the two walked towards the building's entrance. Because of the weather, they remained in the front lobby.

Jamal explained his country's need for nuclear energy—despite their massive oil reserves, his country wished to be powered in a way that did not increase pollution. They also wished to utilize the efforts of up and coming research engineers, rather than hire more expensive experienced professionals.

While Matt listened to Jamal's spiel, he noted that Rene had stationed himself just out of Jamal's line of vision with a long range listening and recording device. Because the equipment had to be small enough to avoid attracting attention, there was no guarantee that the device could pick up their conversation. Perhaps in the quiet of the library with no one around them, it would work. Posing as students, agents Ryan Johnson and Manny Gonzales walked through the front doors of the building several minutes into their conversation. Apparently Rene had alerted their backup. The "students" sat down in the lobby and pulled out their phones as if they were waiting for friends to meet them there.

Jamal was still speaking. "…of course we understand that you might have reservations…"

"I might. I have some interest in this form of nuclear engineering, but to be honest, I was aiming for a career in the defense industry here in the U.S. Besides, it seems that you would be better served hiring one of my professors, not me. I have no experience."

"We are looking for fresh faces. I already have researchers in place. We need assistants for them. You will learn while working under them and eventually obtain your Master's degree or even a doctorate—after you complete a simple task on this campus."

Matt turned as if to leave. "I appreciate the offer, but I am happy here."

"Perhaps if we properly motivated you." Jamal pulled out his own phone and after unlocking the screen, turned it to Matt. There displayed on the screen was a photo of Sarah wearing the same knit cap she had worn running that morning. Jamal had not only been there, but he had been taking photos. He glanced up to gauge Matt's reaction. Smiling slightly at the confusion and concern on Matt's face, he scrolled over to the next photo. In that shot, Matt and Sarah could be seen on the ski slope—it was at the bottom of the mogul run, where Matt had maneuvered himself so he and Sarah were close enough to embrace.

"You've been stalking me and my wife?"

"I don't like to call it stalking. I call it getting to know my future employees."

"What if I say no? This seems pretty fishy—" Matt glanced down at the business card. "—Mr. Jamal. Maybe I should check with my advisor or the state department. How do I know you can offer me an accredited degree? I don't know if I can do some of the things you suggested. There may be laws against sharing the technology you talk about. I've only heard a little about Advanced Systems Technologies and those other firms."

"Perhaps you don't understand me." Jamal played with his screen and showed the phone to Matt again. This time he displayed a photo of Sarah and Christina leaving the coffee house where Sarah had told Matt she would be meeting her friend that afternoon.

Matt had no trouble acting frightened this time. "Who is watching my wife? If you or anyone you know hurts her…"

"You'll do what, Mr. Granger?"

Matt was regretting that they had used their real names for this assignment. But he understood why now. Jamal would have known they were putting on an act—he would have found out Matt's real name as easily as he had tracked him to Colorado.

When Matt didn't answer, Jamal continued. "Because if you try to do anything but cooperate, you will not see your wife again." His eyes narrowed. "Or perhaps you will, but you will not like to see what we've done to her."

When he paled in reaction, Matt was not acting. Was it really worth all of this? He wondered fleetingly why he had wanted so badly to be an operative. It was not for this moment. "If I do cooperate, how can I be assured of my wife's safety?"

"You will have the pleasure of finding her safe at home each night. If anything is amiss… Well, I just hope you will join us in our endeavor, Mr. Granger. Your wife is a lovely woman. I'd hate to have to do anything to harm her."

"I don't have any other choice but to say yes, do I?"

"I'll take that as your agreement to help us, then."

When Matt nodded, Jamal continued. "Good. We'll send your thesis proposal to your advisor for you—we have some very clever people who will make it look as if you have sent it. You should be approved, the way we have worded it. Once that happens, we will have you access the facilities where the research material we need is located."

"That's not doing research for you—you want me to steal research."

"We don't call it that in my country. You'll be a hero there when your work is done."

"And possibly arrested for treason here."

"We have provided refuge for several of our researchers. That will not be an issue. Besides, we feel that in your case, we can adequately cover your tracks so that you may be able to stay here and continue to work for us."

"I don't see how…"

"You will. I must be going. We'll be in touch. Check your email."

Jamal turned and walked swiftly out the door. The Agency operatives acting as "students" followed him out the door, but they soon returned. Matt pulled out his phone as soon as Jamal had walked away and called Sarah. Satisfied she was unharmed, he returned to the table where he and Rene had been working. Johnson and Gonzales sat down nearby.

"You're lucky we weren't far away, Enriquez. Francine called us this morning and told us to hang out in the area and be ready to act as backup. I had a date." Gonzales was irritated. "What the hell is this about?"

"Can't tell you. Did you figure out where the target went?"

"Nope. He disappeared. The guy's a pro." Johnson eyed Rene. "What's up with you, anyway, Enriquez? Normally you're buddy-buddy with Granger. You haven't even asked him why looks like he's seen a ghost."

Rene's glance towards Matt was apologetic, but he was noncommittal. "I can guess what it's about." He picked up the notebook and laptop he had been using and stuffed them in his backpack while Matt did the same.

"Thanks for coming by." Matt lifted his backpack to his shoulder. "We should take off. Who knows if this guy has his own people watching us?" He grinned as if he had made a joke. "Keep it light and wait a little bit until after Rene and I have left. Make it look like you are acquaintances who stopped by to say hello." He followed his partner out of the library and to Rene's car. The two men bent their heads as they faced into the wind that had accompanied the cold weather.

Once inside the car and out of the freezing temperatures, Rene turned to him as he started the engine. "I've been a jerk today, man. I caught most of your conversation—he threatened Sarah."

"We were expecting it. Honestly, after hearing him today, I think he plans to chew me up and spit me out. All of that stuff about me earning a degree with him was crap."

Rene's eyes widened slightly. Matt rarely cursed. Rene tried to reassure his partner. "He won't get that far. And we won't let him touch Sarah."

"That's my goal." Matt glanced at his watch. "Let's get going. We still need to go to the Agency and Sarah was expecting me to be home soon."

"I sent Phillip a recording of the conversation. We can call Francine in the car on the way to our fake apartment complex. I already texted her. She's just as happy to stay home in this weather and we need to do the switcheroo stuff—if it's even necessary anymore." Rene backed the car out of the parking space.

"Thanks, man. He showed me a photo of Sarah coming out of the coffee house. I just hope she wasn't followed home."

"If you use your Bluetooth to call Francine, I'll use mine to call Phillip and see if his people spotted anyone following Sarah into your complex. They've got people monitoring your place."

Matt nodded his assent as he made his phone call.

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Despite the assurances Phillip's assistant had given Rene, Matt scanned the parking lot and the woods near the townhouse before waving to Rene and letting himself in the front door. The alarm chimed and Matt heard a distracted "Hi, Matt" from the direction of the kitchen. As soon as he had hung up his coat, he headed up the stairs to find his wife.

"Hey. Smells good in here." The aromas of spices and chocolate had permeated his nostrils before he was halfway up the stairs.

"Thanks. I've been baking."

"You haven't been home long." He stood just outside the kitchen, eyeing the various ingredients that still littered the kitchen counter and the mixing bowl filled with water in the sink. A dozen muffins were cooling on a rack. "You've gotten a lot done."

Sarah was busy mixing something in another bowl. She glanced up at him and smiled, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. "How did it go with Rene?"

"We're good now. He wants us to come over next Saturday for dinner. I said I would check with you first."

"We're free—or at least you are and I am until Wong tells me otherwise." She turned back to the counter. "I'm glad Rene's not upset with you anymore. What a nice answer to our prayers."

"Yeah, it is." He hesitated, wondering at her mood. "I'll wash dishes for you."

"Thanks. That would be great." Eyeing her warily, he stepped into the kitchen, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. He watched for a moment as concentrating on her task, she began spooning batter into the muffin cups. Moving to the sink, he started heating the water and placing some of the items in the dishwasher. "That's a lot of muffins. We'll be well-stocked."

"I wasn't sure when I'd get another chance to bake."

Matt squirted some dishwashing detergent into one of the sinks and filled it with the now hot water. "What's in the oven?"

"Blondies. I was thinking I'd bake them for Seth and David. I spent a lot of time with Jessica but not with them before the wedding. I was hoping this would make up for neglecting them a little."

"We could have them over next weekend—during the day before we go to Rene and Patti's, maybe. Take them for a hike in the greenbelt, get some pizza for lunch." He glanced over at his wife. He knew he needed to talk about Jamal, but he was nervous he had already upset Sarah in some way.

"Hmm." After placing the pan with the chocolate chip bar cookies on the stove, Sarah set the muffin tin on the oven rack and closed the door. She set the timer before handing the bowl to Matt.

Matt's eyebrows furrowed. He took the bowl from Sarah and rinsed it. "I need to tell you that I saw Jamal today. After we're done here, we can sit down and I'll tell you about it."

"I already heard." Sarah stood at the pantry door, arranging the flour, sugar, and other ingredients on the shelf once again.

The bowl clattered as Matt almost dropped it. After placing it in the dishwasher, he dried his hands and turned to Sarah. "How did you know? Only a few people heard about it. I wanted to tell you myself—in person."

"Phillip beat you to it." At Matt's surprised and confused expression, Sarah continued. "Just before you got home, he called me to ask us not to come over tomorrow."

Stepping over to Sarah, Matt placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards him. He bent his head to look in her eyes. "Something has been wrong with you since I got home. Was it Phillip? Was it something I did?" Matt wracked his brain. They had talked on the phone not long ago. Surely he had not offended her during their brief conversation.

"It wasn't you." Although she averted her face, Matt could feel Sarah tremble a little. She was crying or near tears.

"Come on, honey," he urged. "Talk to me."

"I hope you like blondies. Phillip doesn't want us to go near his house. Even though Jamal didn't follow me home, Phillip knows he was stalking me, or his people were stalking me. He knows you met with him."

"I guess I can't blame the guy. We don't want to endanger your family. It was a risk going to your parents' house, I guess."

"My mom called after I got off the phone with Phillip. She was kind of mad at him. She had offered to have the family thing at their house this time, but Phillip said he wouldn't come if we were there. She said Jamie was apologizing, but he had to agree with Phillip." Sarah's face crumpled as she nearly wailed, "Oh, Matt. We haven't had a relaxing Sunday with my family since early December. I was really looking forward to seeing everyone. Phillip did not even try to be kind. He wasn't mean, but he was…abrupt, I guess. It's not like we asked for this creep to come after us."

Matt did not bother placating Sarah as she fought tears. Instead, he pulled her against him and held her tightly, eventually moving with her to the couch. He pulled her down onto his lap and placed his arms around her, silently praying for her. It was easy to sympathize. He had also been upset over their assignment that afternoon.

They continued to sit like that for several minutes. At last Sarah sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. You wanted to talk about Jamal. I'm sure it was unnerving seeing him."

Matt filled her in on his encounter with the terrorist.

"You know, I felt the hairs on my neck standing on end when I was at the coffee place. I had my eyes on my rearview mirror half the time I was driving, but no one tailed me. I even took a roundabout route."

"Good. You did the right thing. Phillip's people said you weren't followed."

She sighed and gave Matt a squeeze before scooting off of his lap. "Those muffins have to be about done."

"You know, I really like blondies. You could leave a few for me, make up a little package for Jamie to bring to the boys, and share the rest with your class."

"Right." He could hear the smirk in her voice. "Baked goods for the operatives?"

He tried not to sound defensive. "Your mom used to bring us stuff." Matt heard the sound of the muffin tin as it clattered a little on the stove top.

"That's right. She did."

"It will make things easier when they figure out your dad was the previous section chief and Francine is your godmother."

"If you're trying to cheer me up, you're failing miserably, Granger." Sarah appeared in the kitchen doorway, smirking at him. "Come help me finish up in here."

"Yes, Ma'am." He stood, grinning. "Then we are going to dinner. Our favorite place. You need a little pasta, some of that chocolate cake, and…"

"…a little time in a restaurant booth at Martini's snuggled up together." She chuckled. "You know that server gets such a kick out of it when you kiss me right there."

It was good to hear the sound of her laugh. "She's the only one that ever sees us. That's why it's my favorite restaurant—I mean our favorite restaurant. It's cozy." On his way to the sink he paused to leave a soft kiss on the nape of Sarah's neck, near her braid. "And afterwards we can snuggle up together at home."

When his wife smiled, he knew his prayers had been answered. Jamal and family get-togethers would be forgotten for a few hours.

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In the hand-to-hand training facility on Monday, Sarah waited on the bench along the wall, listening as Matt introduced them to a new technique. It was new to their class anyway, but not new to her. She expected him to call her up for a demonstration, so she grew slightly nervous. It still made her uncomfortable to have the class's full attention. A voice close by distracted her.

It was Catherine, hissing in her ear. "I can't believe you really felled this guy on your own last week. He must have at least eighty pounds on you. I think he was just letting you flip him."

"Matt wouldn't do that. I need to know how to bring down someone who's bigger than me." Sarah turned her body away slightly, trying to give Catherine the hint to be quiet. She focused her attention on her husband, hoping he hadn't heard her interrupting his lesson.

He had missed the interchange, but his eyes soon met hers. "Agent Granger, could you please step onto the mat?" He pointed to a spot near him. "I'd like you to demonstrate the knifehand so I can show the class a countermove."

After Sarah had used the knifehand to fell a man who was coming on to her aggressively in a bar, Matt had taught her this move. Concerned that an adversary might fight her off and gain the upper hand once she had made an initial strike, he had worked with her on a technique to counter any self-defense or aggression a would-be attacker might take.

"Stand here and raise your hand as if you are going to strike me with the knifehand," he directed her. "This move I'm making works if you are evenly matched, but it is even more effective if you are more powerful than your opponent. Agent Granger, although slighter in build than me, will counter—in slow motion—with a move that allows her to avoid being compromised."

Touching her lightly to simulate a would-be aggressor's counter to her knifehand, Matt pretended to try to subdue Sarah. However she slipped from his grip with a move of her own and brought Matt to his knees.

"Of course I fell on purpose that time—if the move is well-placed with enough force, it's possible to dislocate the aggressor's shoulder or even break the arm. A lighter weight individual can at least disable the aggressor momentarily and flee to safer ground—or have time to gain the upper hand by pulling a weapon."

Grant Hill raised his hand as Matt gestured for Sarah to resume her spot on the bench. "So if you're the bigger person, or at least the person blocking the knifehand, you need to be sure your opponent doesn't twist your arm up behind your back, right?"

"That's right. Size doesn't guarantee dominance in hand-to-hand. Larger opponents need to be aware at all times, too."

Matt called up two more women and one of the men before pairing up the new agents. He stood to one side and observed, occasionally stepping in to offer guidance while Wong helped, too.

Sarah was paired with Greg Costas. Like her and Grant, he was one of the younger members of the class, not long out of college. However Sarah vaguely remembered that he had worked with a police department briefly. There was a chance he knew this move and he could easily gain the upper hand with her. He was not quite as muscular as Matt, but nearly as tall. She brought her hand down to Costas' neck, but he reached up to grab her arm. Before she could slip out of reach and twist his arm behind his back, he had caught her wrist and pulled the move on her.

But he had overestimated her strength and she cried out as he brought her to her knees. Quickly he let her go. "Geez, I'm sorry, Granger. I figured after you took out your husband last week that you had more muscle."

Hearing Sarah cry out, Matt had rushed over. He directed his words toward Costas as Sarah allowed him to examine her shoulder. "She had a dislocation with that shoulder a few months ago. I should have warned you to stick to the moves here."

Sarah, who was cradling the arm in an effort to protect her shoulder, did not say anything as Matt made a valiant effort to keep his temper in reign.

Richard Wong had joined the threesome as the rest of the class stood silent. "No, Instructor. This was not your error. Costas should have stuck to the instructions without being reminded. Agent Granger wasn't expecting the move. We're still letting everyone learn the paces before we try surprising them." Richard Wong directed his gaze to Sarah. "Go to the infirmary and have that looked at."

Sarah wanted to protest, but at a look from Matt, she acquiesced and left the training room. She knew they were both right. Agency protocol demanded she be examined at the infirmary, and she needed to show Wong that she would cooperate when asked.

Wong directed his next comments to the group. "As you can see, your instructor and I were not kidding when we said that it was important to stick to instructions in this class. Our goal is to train you to disable an opponent in the field, not your fellow agents. There should be no surprise moves at this point in your training."

Watching silently as Wong had come to his defense and berated Costas, Matt could see the younger agent had been embarrassed long enough. He made an effort to rescue the situation and regain control of the class. "Now that everyone has practiced that last move, perhaps Agent Costas and I can demonstrate the one he used."

Wong retreated to a bench as Matt and Costas went to the mat.


	7. Chapter 7

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Seven

Relieved that the class had ended fifteen minutes after Sarah's mishap, Matt rushed to the infirmary without changing his clothes. As he spotted his wife through the open door of a treatment room, he was relieved to see Sarah sitting up on a gurney, no longer cradling her arm.

Before he could walk into the room, he was stopped by Dr. Fitzgerald. "She's fine, Granger. Just a few sore tendons, but she needs to stay on the bench this week in your class."

"Okay. Can she leave, then?"

"Just waiting on an X-ray. I sent the digital file over to a NEST radiologist offsite for final diagnosis. It's regulation. Should only be a few more minutes."

Matt wasted no more time reaching Sarah's side. "I'm so sorry about Costas. He was out of line, but I should have been clear on the moves."

"You were clear, Matt. And Wong already warned us. He sure did come down hard on Costas, though. The guy already felt badly."

"Yeah." Matt leaned a hip against the gurney and took her good hand, but his mind seemed elsewhere.

"What? Are you worried he's going to hold a grudge? Because I am. He expected me to fight back more."

From Matt's expression, that was clearly not what he had been thinking, but he only said, "Let's not borrow trouble, okay? I don't think Costas meant any harm—I think he just doesn't want to rock the boat with Wong."

Because they did not know who was listening, Sarah refrained from making a remark about walking on eggshells around Richard Wong. Instead, she glanced down at their joined hands. "Um, while I have you here, I need to tell you I won't be home much this week."

Matt pushed off from the gurney so he could be face-to-face with his wife. "Oh, really?"

"I have night surveillance. At least they're teaming me up with Grace Tanaka. Francine pulled me aside to say that with the Jamal thing, two agents I don't know will be coming along, too."

"At least they have you protected out there. Seems ridiculous. Why not just have you work from here?"

"We do that at the end of the week or next week."

"I guess we were expecting this. Will you get dinner? Should I bring you something?"

"I might bring something tomorrow. Grace and I will buy something tonight."

"I'll make enough dinner for a few nights so you can have homemade food."

"I'm sorry to stick you with all of the cooking this week."

"I don't mind—I'll just miss you. Maybe I'll be busy with Jamal and get this case out of the way."

Sarah caught the hint of disappointment in her husband's voice. He was putting on a cheerful face for her, but she was not fooled. "I made sure I'm off the weekend after this one."

Matt cheered up at this. "Well, that is good news. Your dad said we could have the cabin that weekend." He placed his hand on her cheek. "We can celebrate your birthday."

Smiling, Sarah replied, "It was sweet of you to think of going somewhere."

"I want to plan other trips, too. B and Bs, maybe some skiing up north. But we'll just have to see how your schedule goes—it might have to be this summer." He grew thoughtful and took her good hand again. "Have you seen Phillip today?"

Sarah looked away. "No."

"He came looking for me in the bull pen. He knew your parents came to our place after they left the family thing early yesterday."

"I hope he wasn't upset with you."

"No. He came to apologize. He said he tried to apologize to you over the weekend…"

Sarah cut Matt off. "It wasn't much of one. He gets all worked up about things and doesn't realize how he sounds."

Matt had to admit Phillip was thoughtless at times. "Well, he was concerned. I guess your parents said something."

"They shouldn't have to get involved anymore. We're not kids. He's always thought he was right because he was so much older."

Furrowing his brow, Matt was thoughtful. "I hope I don't come off that way. Being the oldest in the family can make a person kind of bossy."

Before Sarah could respond, Dr. Fitzgerald breezed in. "I'm giving you the all clear, Sarah. You can get back to class. Just don't lift anything heavy for a week."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief, but he did not say anything as they walked back to the training center. He imagined Sarah had had enough coddling for one day.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

"Well, thanks for letting me know, Matt. When I didn't hear from her, I wondered what had happened…" Sitting at the kitchen table with her cell phone to her ear, Amanda took a sip of coffee, but her mind was on the phone conversation. "Yes, I know. I should have expected you would call if anything was wrong…Thanks for understanding. You want to join us for dinner tonight? Great. Just text me when you're leaving. It isn't meatloaf, but you don't have to cook it yourself." Amanda chuckled at the response on the other end.

When Amanda ended the call, she looked up to see her husband watching her. "Sarah has been working double shifts all week. I hope you don't mind that I invited Matt to dinner."

"Of course not. It's not much fun to spend evenings by yourself when you've just gotten married." He gazed significantly at Amanda. They had had their own share of nights apart when they were keeping their marriage a secret from their family and the Agency. "Since we only saw the two of them for an hour on Sunday, it will be nice to have a chance to catch up a little. Last week was pretty tense."

"Well, I don't know how much Matt can tell us about Sarah, other than she's on surveillance with Grace all week. He said she hurt her shoulder in hand-to-hand on Monday, but she's better now." 

Lee bristled at this news. "What is Matt thinking? He knows she had the dislocation. He found her on the rocks, for…"

"Lee!" Amanda positioned herself in front of her husband so she could capture his attention before he became too upset. "You know better than anyone how protective Matt can be. That time she fell was traumatic for him, too." Seeing that Lee had cooled a little, she continued. "It was one of the freshman agents. He didn't follow instructions. Apparently Wong reprimanded the guy in front of the class."

Lee frowned. "I hope that won't be a problem."

"Let's hope not. Wong tends to invite trouble his way. Sarah usually gets along with her colleagues."

"Has Matt heard any more from Jamal?"

"He's set up with a new advisor. This professor is in the lab that does work in conjunction with AST. But you know that. Tristan gave us a briefing yesterday."

"I just wondered if he'd been back to the lab—if Jamal was putting the screws to him. I don't like that Sarah's out in the field every night. Especially after the creep threatened her to Matt."

"She should be back in the bull pen helping to monitor over the weekend."

"The weekend? After pulling all that overtime? Is Wong trying to work her to death?"

"She wanted the following weekend off."

"Oh—that's her birthday. We can have a birthday party for her."

"Lee, that isn't going to happen until Jamal is out of the picture. Phillip may have been unkind in the way he broke the news to Sarah, but he's right. Besides, Matt asked for the cabin, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Lee tugged at his collar and searched for a way to change the subject. "Does she at least have other agents out there with her? It's not just her and Grace, right? And this is some other case, not Jamal?"

Amanda noticed Lee's discomfort at the mention of Matt and Sarah's weekend away, but ignored it. "Francine has been placing other agents out there with them—and she would not tell me what the case was about specifically. They are keeping track of some for-hire thugs—making sure they are not working for a terrorist group or something to that effect. I think they're watching a safe house. Wong isn't happy Francine's overseeing Sarah's field work. He wants to know why Sarah is somehow involved in a highly classified case that he isn't privy to."

"Sounds like the poor kid is in a hornet's nest. The sooner we get rid of Jamal, the better."

Amanda raised her eyebrows. "You mean arrest him, right?"

"Uh. I was just repeating Tristan's words."

"They want to take him out?"

"He's too high profile. You know he isn't selling the weapons. We get rid of him, the network he's created collapses. The goal is to take him and his local cronies out and destroy his base."

"The women and children, too?"

"That's not his base. It's his home. He wants us to think it's his base. His base is mobile and always far from his family. Unlike other terrorists, he has no little kids playing games outside or wives hanging up laundry on the roof of his headquarters."

"Thank God we can leave them be—or at least not bomb the place."

Lee reached for his wife. "You know the man has threatened our daughter, right?"

"Of course I know that. But two wrongs don't make a right." Amanda wrapped her arms around her middle.

Lee pulled her towards him. "No, they don't. And I knew you would say that."

"You know me pretty well."

"And I love you pretty well, too, Mrs. Stetson." He kissed her forehead and held her close.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

After dinner at Lee and Amanda's, where Jamal had been the topic of conversation for much of the evening, Matt was weary. He pulled into a carport near their townhouse, not wanting to block the driveway. With Sarah coming home later that night, he wanted her to be able to use their garage.

Checking for tails once again, he exited the car. His Bluetooth buzzed as he unlocked the front door. "No tails, Granger. You're clear."

"Thanks." He ended the brief phone call. It was the same every night. Phillip had given standing orders for his team to notify Matt of any suspicious activity when he and Sarah arrived home. They were to keep driving if they were being followed. The all clear at the door was just a courtesy. Matt knew it was Phillip's way of making up for shunning the Grangers at family events. He was at least making sure the couple would sleep more easily at night and not wonder if they had missed some unseen member of Jamal's team. However, someone could still have sneaked by the surveillance cameras that had been placed around the complex. But it would not have been easy.

After preparing lunches for the next day, Matt made his way upstairs. The bed was cold when he climbed inside, much as it had been the last few nights and for most of the time he had owned it. He missed his wife. Yes, she would be coming home in an hour or two, but in the short time they had been married, he had grown to love their nightly routine. Now he could not even say good night with a phone call as he had done during their engagement.

Granted, Sarah had not been feeling well the last few nights. But that was a monthly thing that would go away in a day or two. Her shoulder was back to normal. _I just want to hold my wife and talk at night. Fall asleep together._ He mentally shook himself. _This won't last forever, Granger. You'll have her back next weekend and in a few months this will all be behind you. As long as Wong doesn't prevent her from going to Analysis. Oh, I hope she doesn't get assigned to the New York office or somewhere even farther away._ Matt bent his head and prayed for a long time before sliding beneath the covers.

It seemed like a moment later that the townhouse's alarm chime woke him. Matt heard the quick succession of beeps that signaled the alarm was being set for the night. Soon Sarah was leaning over him, her hair brushing the pillow on either side of his face as she touched her lips to his forehead. "Hello, my love," she whispered.

"Mmm. I love it when you kiss me like that." He reached up to pull her down towards him and kissed her on the lips. Sarah remained there a moment, her forehead touching his. Finally Matt spoke. "But you are cold and tired. I'll let you get ready for bed."

With a final quick kiss on the lips, Sarah stood and went to change into her pajamas. Matt checked his cell phone for a text from the surveillance team. Sarah had not been followed home.

It did not take long for her to finish in the bathroom. Matt felt the slight movement of the bed as his wife eased quietly under the covers. He imagined she thought he was asleep once again. His voice was sleepy as he murmured, "Scoot over here where it's warm. You're too far away."

"Oh. I didn't think you were awake."

"I just want to snuggle with you. We both sleep better that way." Sarah fit her body up against Matt's and he wrapped an arm around her. He kissed her hair and soon felt sleep claiming him once again.

Sarah lay awake, thinking about the surveillance, willing her body to relax. She knew that as partners go, she and Grace were well-matched. Grace had more experience and maturity, but after learning tonight that the 30-something agent had younger sisters, Sarah had guessed why Grace did not seem to mind being paired with someone almost ten years younger. She seemed to enjoy helping Sarah acclimate to the new job. She thought of their conversation.

"_Well, this is our third night watching this location." Grace had yawned and stretched before taking a sip of the tea she kept in a thermos. "I've been told that some international terrorist or weapons broker is supposed to use this place as a safe house, but I'm beginning to wonder if we are wasting our time here. It's always dark and quiet."_

"_Do you think they've seen us?" _

"_Not sure how. We're far away and concealed pretty well by the shrubs. No one can see in the car. We had the lights off when we pulled up." She had shifted in her seat. "Still, I'd rather Phillip send out a cable TV truck and have them set up cameras."_

"_Francine is pretty old school."_

"_Yes. Like your dad and mom. I have to say it's hard to argue with their experience. Sometimes cameras can't do everything."_

_Sarah trained the telephoto lens on a darkened upstairs window. She snapped a few photos. "There it is again. A strange movement. I saw a dim light—like a reflection."_

"_Maybe it's a mirror picking up the street light. The blinds are open."_

"_Maybe…or someone taking photos. My dad showed me this once. The lens of the camera reflects a little bit of light. It could also be eyeglasses."_

"_Only your dad would teach you that. Was he hoping to take you on surveillance as a kid?" Grace snickered._

_Sarah laughed softly in response. "My mom would have killed him. Actually, he taught me a few tips on how to spot surveillance, so I'd know if someone was watching me."_

"_This is why I like working with you. You have that Stetson instinct—I'm not sure I would have noticed that reflection." Grace glanced at Sarah, approval on her face. "But no one should be there. Phillip says no one has been in or out of here today."_

Sarah had continued to watch the windows and the area surrounding the house, but there had been no more signs of movement that night. When she had tried to get further information about the man behind the safe house, Grace had been noncommittal, saying she had been given minimal background—clearance for more information was too high.

But Sarah had wondered all evening if they were watching for Jamal or his men. The thought had made her skin crawl at first. After thinking it through, she decided that if that were true, it should be a relief to be helping in some way to get him off the streets.

The heat from Matt's body had warmed hers, and she found the sound of his even breaths comforting. His arm was heavy as it draped over her, but that, too, was comforting. Soon she found herself drifting off.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

"Here's a photo that Sarah took while on surveillance last night." Jamie glanced around the group assembled in an Agency conference room. Lady Farnsworth leaned forward at the same time as Francine. Both women peered at the monitor. Before either one could ask a question, Jamie spoke. "She had picked up some kind of reflection or minimal light source moving in the window, so I enhanced the images." He clicked the remote. "This one picked it up the best."

"It's a camera lens. Sarah has a sharp eye." Rene offered his partner an approving glance. He was feeling almost as proud of her as Matt and Jamie. He leaned over towards Matt. "Where is she, anyway?"

Before Matt could answer, Jamie did it for him. "She's in the Arena this morning. I wanted to bring her along, but Wong refused to give his permission." He stared meaningfully at Francine before continuing. "What this means is that someone is in the safe house, alright, but they are monitoring the people watching them."

Emily Farnsworth jumped into the conversation. "We should not be surprised that Jamal's men are onto us. We knew they would be at some point. It was very clever of Sarah to pick up on it for us. This will change how we handle things from now on." She glanced over at Francine, who nodded. "Chief Beaman and I agree that the best way to end this game with Jamal once and for all is to give him just what he wants." She cleared her throat and glanced briefly at Matt, who was still quiet, a tense expression on his face. "So far we have yet to locate a base of operations for him or his team. That mole we had was used in the field only—he never had access to Jamal's operations center. And he was found out."

Matt knew what they were saying, but he asked the question anyway. "So you want him to take me or Sarah hostage in the hopes that we'll lead you to his center of operations." He stared at Francine before directing his gaze to Emily.

Raising her hand up towards him, Francine attempted to placate Matt. "Not necessarily. But we do want you to give him the files he wants. They will be doctored, of course. You and Sarah can wear wires for safety's sake."

Emily tried to be reassuring. "Matthew, no one wants our dear girl to be taken hostage. But we do need to be ready in the event it does happen. If we can track Sarah, we can find Jamal and extract her before any harm can come to her."

Phillip took this opportunity to interject. "Excuse me, Lady Farnsworth, but I've come up with another method for tracking Sarah. We can give her a special GPS device with a simple microphone that's harder to detect." He turned to Matt. "I've been able to increase the range and scramble the signal on the collar piece you used in Kazakhstan. It can be used in jewelry, with a button, you name it. We can keep an eye on Sarah at all times. But Jamal won't know."

Matt had heard enough. "You hope. If he figures out she's wearing any wire because his team detects a signal, what do you think he'll do? He'll do what he did to the mole." He ran his hand over his face. "Have you told Sarah any of this?"

Emily leaned forward again. "Now, Matthew. Sarah has an advantage over the mole. As loathsome as this will sound to you, we do know that Jamal has held quite an interest in Sarah from the start. Unfortunately for our mole, Jamal saw him as an expendable member of his team. Whether Jamal leaves Sarah alone or takes her, he will use her to get you to meet his demands and follow his orders. She is worth quite a lot to him as long as she is alive."

Leaning back in his chair, Matt stared up at the ceiling before responding to Emily. "And Sarah knows all about this?"

Jamie, who was sitting next to Matt, put a hand on his shoulder. His voice was quiet. "It was her idea, Matt. I argued with her. Phillip pitched a fit."

Reddening a little at his brother's words, Phillip was quick to defend himself. "Well, I was thinking of Mom and Lee."

Speaking authoritatively, Francine took control of the room again as she turned to Matt. "I don't think anyone in this room really wants Jamal anywhere near Sarah, but she herself said that if he takes her, it's an ideal way to catch him."

Just then the conference room door opened. Sarah poked her head in a caught Francine's eye. "May I come in?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Francine nodded. "Please." She waited until Sarah had slipped inside the room and closed the door behind her. "We were just explaining to your husband why you are willing to pose as bait for Jamal." She glanced at Matt. "Or at least allow yourself to be taken hostage. I assume you finished your training exercise?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Sarah went over to the empty seat across from Matt. He watched her with an enigmatic expression on his face.

"We've already discussed the photo you took and the technical details of keeping track of your location. Perhaps you can explain your reasoning, so everyone will be onboard." Francine glanced meaningfully at Matt.

Before Sarah could reply, Matt spoke up. "For the record, Francine, I understand that it's not my place to interfere with your decisions. However, I am the senior agent here. Sarah is working with me on this case. I still think that every effort should be made to keep Sarah from being taken by Jamal." Watching him, Sarah knew he was thinking of the time Brad Smith had taken her hostage. Matt had stopped the rogue agent from fulfilling his plans, but not until after following the car for several miles.

"I am well aware of that, and it will be duly noted that you objected to this decision for safety considerations." Francine glanced at Emily and exchanged a small smile with her before nodding to Sarah.

Although she was directing her words to everyone, Sarah's gaze mostly rested on Matt. "I realize that you all went to a lot of effort to keep me out of the hands of the cartel only a couple of months ago." She glanced at her brothers. "However, I was not working as an agent, albeit a partially trained agent, at the time. In addition, this situation is far more dire. The technology that Matt has been asked to steal could lead to the development of nuclear weapons by a highly unstable government or by a terrorist organization. When I signed on with the Agency, it was to help provide counterintelligence and counterterrorist protection to our country. If Jamal does decide to take me hostage, there is a good chance I could help us discover his base of operations."

Sarah said something about serving her country, or words to that effect, but Matt was too busy trying to keep his emotions in check. Sarah was right. As an intelligence agent for the United States government, one needed to be willing to place oneself in harm's way when the need arose. Certainly Matt had placed himself in harm's way more than once. In the Army it was expected. But he had never had someone he loved do it. Matt had a new respect for his parents, who had not cried or complained when he signed up for the Army. Now his Sarah was volunteering to place herself in danger. _You're a pro, Granger. You can do this. It's part of your job, and you need to support your wife._

The meeting was breaking up, and Sarah was about to leave with Phillip so he could brief her on the tracking device.

Matt called out to his wife. "Sarah, hold up. Please."

Phillip's eyebrows shot up, but he left the room with everyone else. Emily Farnsworth, her hand on Tristan Bates' arm, paused to face Matt. "You know, Matthew. I still have not decided which of her parents your Sarah most resembles. Her dear mother, a smart agent who managed to get into as many scrapes as any agent I've known, or her father, who is still as hard-headed as they come. And when I say hard-headed, I mean that in more ways than one." She winked at Matt. "Hard-headed, smart, and resourceful. Sarah is a survivor like her father and her mother."

"Thank you, Lady Farnsworth. I'll remember that."

Emily reached up to pat Matt on the shoulder. "You're a dear boy. I'm so glad you have one another. For a moment earlier it was just like watching Scarecrow looking out for Mrs. King."

Sarah wanted to offer her goodbyes as well. "My parents told me that you're going back to England, Emily. Thank you for coming to our wedding and for your encouragement. I'm so glad I had a chance to work with you in person."

"I've made it my goal for many years now to watch out for your family. First as your father's godmother, and then as his mentor. Your grandfather helped me get started in the business, and I was there when your mother began her career. It's been my pleasure to see you follow in your parents' and grandparents' footsteps." Emily patted Sarah's cheek. "You did a remarkable job with that photo. You're going to go far, my dear. But I'm not surprised."

"Thank you. That means so much." Sarah stepped forward to hug the longtime Stetson family friend. "Safe travels, Lady Farnsworth."

Matt held out his hand to shake Emily's, but she hugged him instead. "Bless you both. Take care of one another."

After Emily and Tristan had left the room and they were alone, Matt turned to Sarah. He was wary, hoping that he had not offended her earlier. He had objected to Sarah possibly working more actively on the case—albeit in a much more dangerous role—and he knew that was a sore spot for her.

Sarah did not hesitate, however. "Matt, I'm so sorry. You should have heard about this from me, first. But you were at the campus this morning, and I was tied up in the Arena. I could not stop to contact you. As it was, Jamie and Francine pulled me out of training after they had seen the photos. Richard Wong was pretty angry." Reaching out for him, Sarah nervously ran a hand down Matt's arm. "I hope you aren't upset with me."

Embracing her briefly, Matt felt a measure of relief. "I can't say I'm not going to be as scared as hell." He smiled as her eyes widened at his unusual choice of words. "But I am proud of you for being willing to help solve this case. I'm just praying for another way. It's all dependent upon his deciding to abduct you."

"Everyone knows that surveillance is not getting us very far. That safe house is a lead, but a slim one."

"Yeah." Matt stepped back, his hands now in the back pockets of his jeans, and stared at the floor.

Sarah placed a finger under his chin so she could see into his eyes. "Hey. It might not be me. It might be you. You have to wear a wire, too. And don't forget, He's watching over me. Right?"

After he kissed her, he took her hand as they headed to the elevator and Phillip's office. "Yes, He is. I'm glad you reminded me."

Pleased that she had placated her husband and had his support, Sarah failed to notice the troubled expression that remained on his face as they boarded the elevator.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Lee and Amanda stepped off the elevator and walked down the hotel hallway. Seeing her husband's expression, Amanda placed a hand on his arm. "Lee. What is it?"

"Oh, I've just got this gut feeling. It's depressing. I won't burden you with it."

Amanda stopped, urging Lee to as well. "Really, Stetson? After we've known each other almost thirty years, you don't want to burden me?" Amanda rolled her eyes and frowned.

"Fine. I've just had this feeling about Emily. We've been lucky to have her around this long. And now…"

Her frown softening into a smile, Amanda wrapped her arms around Lee. "I felt the same way about my mother those last few months. Maybe it's God's way of preparing you. Or maybe you're wrong. People often live well into their nineties."

"This kind of gut feeling is usually right. But since I'd rather go with your optimistic take on things, let's put our smiles back on and go say our goodbyes."

Amanda stood on tiptoe to kiss her husband. "That's the spirit, Scarecrow. And let's plan to go for a visit in a month or two. Our last trip didn't go so well."

"We'll plan it tonight." Lee gave Amanda a squeeze and kissed her forehead before pulling away and placing his hand at the small of her back so they could continue on to Emily's suite.


	8. Chapter 8

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Eight

Matt scooped the last bite of enchiladas off of his plate and placed the fork in his mouth. At the satisfied sound he made, Patti grinned.

Rene chuckled. "I think my wife has made our Texas friend very happy."

"And very full. I think that was my fourth. Thanks, Patti. It was delicious."

"Patti makes the best Mexican food in D.C."

"I'm not even Mexican. I'm a mish mash. Rene's mom taught me a few recipes when we got married."

"Well, I appreciate you making your Mexican recipes when I come over. It's the one thing I really miss from Texas." Matt chased the food down with a swig of beer from his bottle. "Does the spice in the food bother you now that you're pregnant?"

"Not so far." She smirked over at her husband. "Rene says the baby is showing his or her Mexican heritage by allowing me to eat spicy stuff." Patti stood and took Matt's plate.

He started to get up. "Let me help with the dishes."

"I've got it. Rene will finish up for me later. You two sit and chat. I'll be back in a few minutes with dessert." Patti placed her free hand on her slightly protruding stomach as she stood there for a moment. "I really wish Sarah could have come with you tonight. Wong is a slave driver. That poor girl is going to work herself into the ground."

Since she had turned to take Matt's plate to the kitchen, Patti missed seeing Matt's mouth turn down at the corners briefly as the sparkle left his eyes. But Rene had seen his partner's expression. He whispered, "Hey, man. You'll be alone with her next weekend. I know it's hard. You guys can take it easy, have some romance…"

Having recovered his composure, Matt pasted a smile on his face. "My thoughts exactly. I'm staying upbeat about all of this for Sarah's sake. No point in nursing any frustrations and getting irritable."

"That's the spirit." Rene clapped Matt on the shoulder, and then sat back in his chair. "Still, Wong is a jerk. Amanda never worked anyone like Wong is working Sarah's class."

Matt answered Rene's scowl with raised eyebrows. "You're not helping me, man."

"You never told me how Lee and Amanda took the news about Sarah being bait for Jamal."

"Sarah was going to go over there, but Wong had her so busy she had to call them. She was afraid someone would spill the beans before she could tell them herself."

"Bet that didn't help."

"Nooo. Lee was ready to rip somebody a new one. So Sarah called Francine and asked her to intervene. They had a little conference call. After all, it's not like she's standing on a street corner, waiting for him to pick her up. This is all a future possibility."

Both men jumped a little when they heard a soft knock on the apartment door. Rene offered Matt a questioning look as he got up to answer it. Patti, in the kitchen with the water running and the dishes clinking against one another, had been oblivious to the knock.

After spying on the visitor through the peep hole, Rene rushed to flip the deadbolt and open the door. "Hey, Sarah. You made it." He stepped aside to let her in and glanced over at Matt, who had risen from his chair.

It took Matt only a brief moment to recover from his surprise and make his way over to his wife. "Hey, honey. I didn't expect you to come." He took her by the arms, smiling down at her before touching his lips to hers.

Managing to return the smile, Sarah whispered so Patti would not overhear, "Grace and I made sure we weren't followed. I even asked the surveillance guy on duty to check the cameras here."

"Thanks, chica," Rene whispered back. He patted her arm in approval.

"Grace talked Wong into letting us leave early. There was nothing happening again." Her voice lacked enthusiasm as she continued, "We still have to show up at nine to staff the bull pen. It will be a couple of the other new agents and me, plus Phillip's people and some agent named Chen."

"Oh yeah." Rene glanced at Matt before turning back to Sarah. "He's been on assignment. You might not know him."

Before releasing her, Matt could not help noticing the dark circles under Sarah's eyes. It was no wonder—it was Saturday night and she had been working fifteen hour shifts all week. He needed to get her home, but she had been so disappointed at missing this evening with their friends, he hated to drag her away right after she had arrived.

"Sarah! You made it." Patti, emerging from the kitchen and finding another guest in her living room, was quick to envelope her in a hug.

"Thanks for having me." As Sarah stepped away, she glanced down at Patti's small, but obvious bump. "And I should say congratulations in person. How are you feeling?"

"I feel great, now. The morning sickness wasn't so great at first." Patti eyed Sarah speculatively. "You look hungry, girlfriend. Did you get dinner?"

Sarah colored a little. She glanced over at the table, where Patti had just set a flan. "I can eat dessert with you guys."

Patti nodded knowingly. "Sure. After you eat a couple of enchiladas."

"Oh, just one will be fine."

"Honey, if your husband can pack away four of them, a skinny thing like you can eat two." Patti turned and went to the kitchen before Sarah could protest.

The four friends were seated in the living room a little while later, an empty dessert platter on the coffee table the only reminder of their meal. Sarah had curled up on the couch next to Matt, his arm around her shoulders and her head resting against him. Their conversation lulled and Matt could feel Sarah relax against him.

Rene nodded towards Sarah and mouthed to Matt, "She's falling asleep."

After Matt roused Sarah, the two couples said their goodbyes. Soon the Grangers were driving home.

"I'm glad Grace drove you to Rene and Patti's. You're so tired, sweetie."

She yawned and stretched a little. "I am. I think Grace talked Wong into giving me some mercy. We have to practice in the arena next week. I only work until three o'clock tomorrow."

"Good. I'll make us an early dinner and you can catch up on your sleep."

When she turned towards him, he could see her eyes shining luminously in the darkened car. As tired as Sarah was, he still found himself wanting to do more than simply sleep beside her that night. He ran a hand over his hair and forced himself to keep his mind on the road.

"I'm sorry, Matt. I know it's hard being newly married to someone who's never home—or sleeping when they are home. You've been so sweet to make lunches for me—and dinners."

"You don't have to apologize. I like being able to help you. Besides, we have our plans for next weekend and we're celebrating your birthday with your parents on Tuesday." He took her hand. "I have some news."

Sarah perked up a little at this.

"You know how we're supposed to be partners on the Jamal thing? It looks like you'll be doing a little field work with me on Wednesday."

"Oh?" Sarah was wide awake now.

"Yeah. My advisor invited me and a couple of other students, including Rene, to pizza. I need to go. Wives are invited. Jamal may be monitoring that—I know he checks up on me at campus. I need to get with Phillip, but Francine wants you to wear a wire—not just the tracking device." Matt squeezed her hand, but his face was serious.

"I know you are nervous about Jamal, and I am, too, but I can't help but be excited to work with you." Sarah grew thoughtful. "I thought wires were a liability—Jamal might pick up the signal."

"Francine doesn't want to take any risks. Besides, Phillip and Jamie and their people seem to think Jamal suspects he's being watched. They've seen his known associates in town, and they are acting as if they are worried. On top of that, Phillip plans to use some kind of device that will make it harder for Jamal's people to detect the signals from the wires."

"To tell the truth, I'd be more comfortable with a wire. It will be easier for Phillip or his team to keep track of me. It's already a miracle he can do what he does."

"True. A lot has happened with that technology just since I started in intelligence a few years ago."

Sarah yawned as Matt pulled into their complex. "Oh, it's so pretty. Everything is covered." Great snowflakes were drifting down, making the parking lot lights glow. Their home looked like a winter wonderland, but Matt was glad he could park in the driveway tonight.

Matt was checking his phone for their usual "all clear" text as they climbed the stairs of their townhouse when Sarah veered off toward the kitchen. He stared after her, surprised. "Where are you going?"

"Just going to make lunch for tomorrow."

"I'll make you a sandwich while you get ready in the morning. You need to get in bed. You can hardly keep your eyes open." He held out his hand towards her, placing it on the small of her back when wordlessly she came back to him and continued up the stairs to their bedroom.

As she pulled off her sweater, she admitted, "I am really beat."

"Yep. Let's hurry up and get in bed. I'll give you a shoulder rub."

"It isn't bothering me anymore." Sarah rolled her shoulder around. "It's just a little stiff."

"You'll sleep better."

Sarah searched Matt's face as he busied himself with his toothbrush. "I'm sure that you were hoping for more on a Saturday night."

He glanced up at her in the mirror and offered her a small smile. "Well, maybe tomorrow night. But don't worry about it, honey. You're so tired."

Turning away, Sarah unzipped her jeans and pulled them off. Her throat constricting, she knew part of her emotional reaction was from exhaustion. After all, there was more to marriage than...

But his arms were warm as they wrapped around her from behind. He kissed her hair. "Really, sweetie. Besides, we'll have next weekend."

Sarah turned in Matt's arms and looked up into his face. "I'm so glad you planned it. I can't wait to be alone with you, away from everything."

"Me, too, beloved. Now, you had better get in your pajamas and brush your teeth before you fall asleep standing up." Kissing her forehead, he released her.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Lee emerged from the office to find Amanda hard at work on dinner. "So, I sure hope Wong doesn't keep Sarah late and mess up our dinner. We already missed the actual day. January 31 was yesterday. That man is working her too hard. Too many late nights." He went to the sink to wash his hands.

"She'll be here—they're on the way. And there's good news. Tomorrow night she's going out in the field with Matt, Rene, and Grace. She told me about it when she called from the car. You were on the phone with Greg at AST." Amanda looked up at her husband as she checked the roast.

Lee's eyebrows lifted as he went to chop a tomato. "Oh yeah? Francine's letting a newbie get a little field time?"

"You don't look happy. This is kind of great. Like how you and I started."

"Amanda, she's just barely ready for field duty. She's hardly started training. What if this Jamal guy makes his move? Hell, she won't even be armed." Lee held the knife in his hand as he paced. He stopped to face Amanda. "Both Francine and Emily have said she looks really tired, too. People slip up when their tired."

Eyeing the knife, Amanda answered him. "Lee, there's nothing that can be done about Sarah being tired. It goes with the job sometimes. As for Jamal, at some point the man will 'make his move.' Besides, she has had training. A lifetime of it. From her own father, one of the best in the business. Sure, she may just be learning Agency procedures, but she knows how to handle herself when confronted. I was using my purse, lamps, whatever. All she needs is to knock them out with that move you taught her."

"I'm calling Leatherneck. Maybe he could get her a weapon to carry."

Amanda stepped over to Lee and took the knife out of his hand before embracing him. "There's no need, sweetheart. She'll have a Glock with her. Leatherneck and Francine are seeing to that."

Staring down at his wife's face for a moment, Lee's expression went from one of distress to chagrin. He smiled lopsidedly. "I'm being overprotective again, aren't I?"

Amanda's returning grin was not lopsided. "Maybe, but you're learning to control it. I'm proud of you."

"God, it's hard letting go. It wasn't like this with Phillip and Jamie."

"They were young men who were pushing for independence—frankly, it was a relief to let them go. You are just like a father to them, but it has to be different when the person is your flesh and blood—and the sweet little girl who wore bows in her hair not so very long ago." She tipped his chin so he was looking in her face. "I understand, sweetheart."

He smiled at her and dipped his head to kiss her on the cheek. "Thanks, Amanda."

"Sarah told me that Matt wishes he could always be the one working with her in the field. He reminds me of a certain jealous agent many years ago."

"Oh?" Lee pulled her hand to his lips. "I was always a pro."

Snorting, Amanda ignored the kiss and turned to the counter to touch up the frosting on Sarah's birthday cake. "Sure, Stetson. Sure you were."

"What?"

Amanda gazed at her husband, incredulous. But then she saw the twinkle in his eye and the dimple on his cheek. He was teasing her—his way of blowing off steam. But as she watched, his smile disappeared.

Stepping up close behind her, Lee spoke against Amanda's ear. "Maybe you could distract me for a little while upstairs after they leave so I won't fret about her."

She chuckled as she pulled away. "That sounds like my Scarecrow all right. Sure. You have a date." When Lee offered her a foolish grin, she continued, "Just don't go kicking them out the door before Sarah can blow out her birthday candles."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

As Sarah turned into the parking lot of their complex, she was struck by the fact that this was only the second time in almost two weeks that she had driven home before it had grown dark. She was still working, technically, but at least she would be spending the evening with her husband.

Having heard the automatic garage door opening, Matt was waiting in the doorway to the house as Sarah emerged from the car. "Hello, beautiful."

At the compliment, Sarah took a moment to regard her husband. He was dressed in a black sweater and jeans and he had shaved off his five o'clock shadow. As she drew near, she pulled off her glove and reached up to caress his cheek before greeting him with a kiss. "You are very sweet, you know. And pretty good looking yourself."

After returning the kiss, he sighed audibly before stepping back to give her room to pass inside. "I wish we didn't have to go anywhere. I just want to…"

"Curl up with a good book?" Sarah smirked at him as she hung up her coat.

"Uh, not quite what I was thinking." Matt ran his hand lightly down her arm. "But you're right to distract me. I need to keep my mind on the case and not on my sexy wife."

They were climbing the stairs to their living area—Sarah stopped and turned around. "I can hardly blame you, since we hardly see each other during waking hours except at work." At Matt's expression, she started to say something about being tired of waiting until the weekend, but she thought better of it. Instead, she focused on their case again as they continued up to their bedroom. "Speaking of work, Leatherneck gave me the Glock today. I passed my target shooting instruction with flying colors."

"Wow! Although I'm not surprised you would pass so soon. Congratulations, sweetie."

"Leatherneck pushed me through and Francine signed some kind of special form. I have to turn the gun back in tomorrow. We still have to finish the Arena training and go through some more exercises before we can carry full time."

"Still, I'm glad you'll have something with you tonight." Matt followed Sarah into the bathroom, where she began refreshing her makeup.

"When do you go through final arms qualifications? I never heard the date."

Sarah stared into the mirror as she applied her mascara. "The date isn't firm, but probably in March or early April. Near the end of our training. There was talk of including us with some NSA trainees at a camp offsite, but Wong isn't sure he wants us to participate."

"It might be kind of fun to have some competition."

Her makeup touched up to her satisfaction, Sarah stepped into the closet. She unzipped her slacks and slipped them off, carefully placing them on a hanger before turning to choose a pair of jeans.

Matt cleared his throat behind her.

Sarah stopped and turned back to Matt, her expression questioning.

"If you don't mind, please don't wear your skinny jeans."

Her mouth tipped as she suppressed a smile. "You don't want me to get any undue attention? I guess I should take that as a compliment."

"You should. You're gorgeous. You're already going to turn heads."

Her smile disappeared. "And I shouldn't try to be the center of attention. Especially on this case. Got it. I'll pick something sort of run-of-the-mill to wear. " As her expression grew troubled, Matt was certain she was thinking of Jamal.

He tried to reassure her. "This will probably just be the other grad students. No Jamal. We just have to go to keep the cover up." As Sarah reached for a sweater, Matt remembered something. Snapping his fingers, Matt stepped out of the bathroom and called over his shoulder. "Hold up a sec. I need to put this on you."

Matt reappeared in the closet doorway carrying a small electronic device with some wires attached to it. "You're going to need to unbutton your blouse."

Sarah smirked and started to say something, but when she saw the wire, she realized Matt was serious. Although Sarah flushed as Matt reached inside her open blouse to affix the wire to her chest near her bra, he seemed to be all business. "You act as though you've done this before," she murmured.

Now a little color did show in Matt's cheeks. "Not on a woman. Just on another male agent." His eyes glinted mischievously at her when he did not withdraw his hand, but let it drift under her blouse. "This is just one of the benefits of you and me working together."

Sarah's hand covered Matt's. "I guess this is the part where I have to distract you from your amorous intentions or we'll be late."

While she buttoned her blouse once again, Matt grinned sheepishly and went back to being businesslike as he picked up the other device off the counter and affixed it to Sarah's collar, behind the button. Then he stepped back. "That's it."

Watching his face, Sarah spoke softly. "Let's say a prayer, too."

Nodding, Matt agreed. "Good idea."

When she was finally dressed, Matt was still fairly certain his wife would attract the attention of most of the men in the party, but at least she was dressed rather modestly. She wore jeans that fit loosely on her, flats, and a white blouse under a teal sweater.

He still stood in the bathroom, just outside their walk-in closet.

Turning to Matt, Sarah asked, "Do I pass inspection?" She looked at him expectantly.

His expression was apologetic. "I know I sounded jealous…"

"You sounded like you care about me. Don't worry about it. I'm not supposed to attract attention, so you don't attract a lot of attention. Besides, Jamal is creepy."

He stopped her as she passed by him, taking her in his arms. After he kissed her, he still held her close. "I may be nervous about Jamal, but I'm glad we're working together." He kissed her once more before letting her go.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

A half an hour after they left their townhouse, Matt was helping Sarah from his car in the darkened parking lot a few blocks from the pizza place. They slipped into the van waiting nearby.

Inside, Rene was adjusting his shirt and Grace was placing a wedding ring on her finger. John Strickland and Jerry Dugone, who worked for Phillip, were checking their equipment. Rene looked over at Sarah and Matt. "Heya, Sarah. Your first op. Glad to have you. I assume Granger has you wired already?"

At Sarah's embarrassed expression, Rene looked over at Matt, who nodded. "We put the small one in her collar." Matt turned to Strickland. "Remember that the second wire still has only a short range. If Sarah leaves the pizza place for any reason without explanation from both me and Rene, then you have to hightail it after her signal or you'll lose it."

"I know my job, Granger." Strickland rolled his eyes, but when he saw both Matt's and Rene's expressions, he sat up straight. "Yes, sir."

"That's more like it, Strickland. Don't forget who has seniority here. This is Granger's op and he has some expertise with tech stuff."

"You're right. Sorry, sir." Strickland fiddled with the settings on his equipment. "I'll just get ready to test the equipment."

Sarah did not need to be prompted when Strickland looked at her expectantly. "Testing. One, two, three. Testing. One, two, three."

"You're good to go. You're wired, too, Agent Granger?"

At Matt's confirmation, Strickland ran a quick test of the equipment.

Sarah pulled on her coat. She took the Glock from her purse. "Shouldn't I carry this on my body somewhere?"

Grace looked over at Rene. "There's an extra ankle holster around here someplace. It would fit on her lower calf, since she's skinny."

"Sounds good. I'm glad you don't have on tight jeans."

After offering Matt a knowing smile, Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. As much as she did not like the idea of using her weapon, she had begun to grow a little nervous, now that they were about to start the operation.

Grace sidled up to Sarah as she fitted the holster around her leg. The men were busy conferring, so she spoke quietly. "Matt looked relieved you'd be wearing. He and Rene think Jamal is going to put the screws to Matt very soon. Probably not tonight, but better safe than sorry." At Sarah's expression, Grace patted the younger agent's arm and checked the holster on Sarah's leg. "Good work. You ready for this?"

"I guess so."

"Well, you don't need to worry. Rene and Matt have got this. Just be yourself and you'll be fine. Mingle, but don't wander too far off. You and I can pretend we're chumming up—like our partners dragged us there."

The foursome left the surveillance van and used the cover of darkness to climb into the old car Rene had been driving—hopefully without being seen by anyone except for Strickland and Dugone. Soon they were mingling in the restaurant's banquet room, sipping beers as Rene and Matt introduced their spouses to the professors and the other students.

Sarah and Grace were chatting together when a grey-haired man, perhaps sixty years-old, approached them. "Mrs. Granger? Mrs. Enriquez? I'm Professor Talbert."

After a quick glance at Grace, Sarah reached out to shake the man's hand. "How do you do? Matt has said so many nice things about you."

"Both of your husbands are very pleasant young men. I'm enjoying working with them. Matt is very quick and Rene…works very hard."

Both women detected a minute pause and forced themselves not to smile. Rene was definitely out of his depth.

"That's very nice of you to say, Professor Talbert," replied Grace. "My husband and Matt have been friends for some time. They were excited to become a part of your program—and to have the chance to study together."

Professor Talbert looked as if he was about to say something but thought better of it. He merely smiled and eyed Sarah before glancing quickly at Matt and Rene, who were engaged in an animated conversation with two other students across the room. "Yes, well, that is nice."

"Would anyone like some water? Or another beer?" Grace glanced expectantly at Sarah and Professor Talbert. When both declined, she stepped away.

Turning to Sarah with an earnest expression, Professor Talbert was now in a rush to speak. "Mrs. Granger, I've spoken with your husband. He really is remarkably gifted in engineering. I have been encouraging him to consider a career in research, but he is concerned it won't pay as well as a job in the commercial sector. I wonder if it won't be too out of line to ask you to encourage him to consider research." 

Sarah was taken aback. She wondered fleetingly how many other professors in Matt's life had encouraged him to become an engineer. "Well, I…"

"I know it's presumptuous of me to approach you. But I am not getting any younger and I'd like to find a protégé or two for my position. It would mean changing to a doctorate course of study."

"Well, if both Matt and Rene could work together, you might be able to sway my husband. But doesn't he have a few more years left before he could begin teaching?"

Dr. Talbert seemed to hesitate. "Yes, it would be several years before Matt could become a professor. But he would start teaching sooner. As for Rene…" He eyed Sarah speculatively.

Grace reappeared, a bottle of water in hand. "Word has it the pizza should be ready in a minute or two."

"Well, your husbands should be joining you soon. Perhaps we can speak again later." Professor Talbert dipped his head as a form of farewell and took his leave.

Grace watched the gray-haired man make his way across the room. "He has very nice manners for someone with a doctorate in engineering. I hate to be prejudiced, but these super smart types often have zero people skills."

Smirking, Sarah offered, "Are you saying Matt shouldn't go for the doctorate?"

"Oh, you know what I mean." Grace colored a little.

Dr. Talbert had disappeared and the two women were seated in a booth when Matt and Rene approached with an older man, perhaps fifty, with shaggy blond hair and glasses that had slipped down his nose. Rene spoke up first. "Hey, gals. Matt and I wanted you to meet our advisor, Dr. Talbert."

Sarah and Grace exchanged glances and pasted on smiles for the three men as they reached out their hands in greeting.

Seeming a bit flustered, Dr. Talbert pushed up his glasses and quickly shook first Grace's hand, then Sarah's. "Pleased to meet you."

Sensing his nervousness, Sarah was quick to take up the conversation. "Our husbands are excited to be working with you. I hear you have made great accomplishments in your field."

"Yes, well. They work hard. The next few months should be telling as to whether this discipline is right for everyone. If your husbands do well, you may not like me so much, either. There's no better way to reinforce a subject than to teach others. I like to set up quite a schedule for assistant teaching."

Sarah glanced at Grace before turning back to the three men. It was Matt's turn to join in. "I'm sure my wife is well aware of those demands. She has already earned her Master's degree in history from Georgetown."

"Well, I suppose that was quite a feat."

Matt's smile faltered at the man's insincere praise of his wife and Rene seemed to bristle. Just then a server arrived with the foursome's pizza.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Talbert. Thank you for coming over." Grace extended her hand one more time, but the professor had already offered them all a wave and wandered in the direction of his own table.

Rene scowled, using a nasally tone of voice as he imitated the professor. "'Well, I suppose that was quite a feat.' It will be quite a feat if I can survive the man's boring lectures."

Grace put up a hand. "Stop for a minute. You should know that's the second 'Dr. Talbert' we've met tonight. The first one was actually a gentleman. I'd be out the door looking for him, but he disappeared five minutes ago. He seemed legit or I would have followed him." She fished hand sanitizer out of her purse and offered it around the table before generously dosing her own hands.

"What the…?" Matt made a conscious effort to lower his voice and tried to look nonchalant. "It wasn't Jamal, right Sarah?"

Sarah put a calming hand on his arm. "Matt, I would have told you if it was."

"Right." He ran his hand through his hair, but before he could speak again, Rene interjected.

"Look, Granger. He was just checking out our covers and making sure the gals were legit." He turned to Grace expectantly.

"Right. Thinking back over the conversation, he was probably putting out feelers. He was complimenting you guys, being pleasant."

"He went on and on about how he wanted Matt to become a doctoral candidate and go into research when you walked away, Grace."

"You left her alone with him?" Matt was incredulous.

"Relax. I had my eye on Sarah the entire time. They guy clearly wanted a moment alone with her and I wanted to see why."

"Eat some pizza, Matt. I'm fine, you're fine." Sarah brought a slice to her mouth and took a bite. "As far as he could tell, I'm the wide-eyed bride, not a wary agent."

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Two hours later Sarah sat in a booth at the back of the banquet room, trying to keep her eyes open while Grace chatted with another of the spouses, a middle-aged man. Matt roused his wife as Rene took Grace around the room to say goodbye.

"Come on, honey. We'll say a few goodbyes, then head on home." He held her coat for her as she slid her arms into the sleeves.

"I can't believe it's only Wednesday."

"Well, you can catch up on some sleep tonight. Only two more days…"

"Until when, may I ask?"

Sarah was wide awake now. Both she and Matt whipped their heads around.

The fake Dr. Talbert stood there, slightly hidden by the shadow of the darkened hallway behind them. "Don't you have studies, Mr. Granger?"

Matt fought to keep his voice steady as he kept his hands protectively on Sarah's shoulders. "What do you want with us?"

"I just want to be sure that you don't forget your goal with the real Dr. Talbert." Both Sarah and Matt could feel the chill in the man's voice. "Mr. Jamal was right. Your wife is lovely. But she seems tired."

"It's late. My wife works hard."

"She does, doesn't she?" He turned his head towards Sarah, but remained in the shadows. "What was it you do again, Mrs. Granger? A film researcher, right? You keep strangely long hours."

Sarah had found her voice. "I'm working on a project."

"Oh. I see." He gazed at Matt. "You must take better care of your bride, Mr. Granger. We can't let anything happen to her, can we? She was practically falling asleep earlier at the table. What if she got behind the wheel like that?"

Chilled by the man's expression, Matt gripped Sarah's shoulders, which had tensed. "I plan to get Sarah home safely myself. Thank you for your concern."

"I'm sure you take everything you do quite seriously, Mr. Granger. Mr. Jamal doesn't expect anything less from you. But I'll let you go. Your friends are coming this way."

Matt watched the imposter retreat before turning to Sarah. "See if Strickland or Dugone can follow him in the van. I'm going after him."

"I'm backing you up."

"Stay here with Grace. Have Rene follow me." He placed a hand on her arm. "Trust me." With that, Matt disappeared down the dark hallway after the man.

Despite her worry over Matt, Sarah forced herself to stay professional as she spoke quickly into the device on her collar. "Strickland. Agent Granger plans to exit the back of the building, following the fake Dr. Talbert. He wants you to track him with the van. Agent Enriquez is to back him up."

Rene overheard Sarah and after tossing the car keys to Grace, was down the hallway in a flash.

Grace propelled Sarah out of the restaurant, both women saying their goodbyes in a rush as they left.

"They're very confused about why we left without our husbands in such a hurry. So much for not drawing attention to ourselves."

"I'm supposed to be pregnant. I was nauseous. Rene can handle it tomorrow." Grace unlocked the Agency car and both women got in. Her Bluetooth now activated, Grace tapped it. "Strickland, where are you? Do you have Granger and Enriquez?"

"Hang tight, Tanaka. We'll update in two minutes."

Grace turned to Sarah. "I know you'd like to be covering your husband's back right now, Sarah, but…"

Sarah waved dismissively. "I'm too much of a distraction right now. The fake Talbert guy was threatening me."

Grace's eyes widened. "Geez. What did he say?"

"Nothing overt. He just made some comment about Matt needing to take better care of me. He wondered what might happen if I got behind the wheel of a car when I was tired."

Strickland's voice came over the Bluetooth. "Grace, rendezvous with us. We're two blocks north of you. We lost the fake Talbert."

It was an anxious two blocks for Sarah. Matt and Rene had spoken little over the Bluetooth or Matt's wire, trying not to make it too obvious they were tracking Jamal's man if any of his people were able to listen in.

Matt was waiting in the van when the two women stepped inside. Not caring about appearances, Sarah rushed at her husband and threw her arms around him.

Hugging her back, Matt reassured his wife. "I'm okay, Sarah. The fake Talbert got into a car driven by someone else. Strickland scanned the area and could only find our signals. Unless Jamal has some fancy trick up his sleeve, he was not interested in taking us tonight or following us around. His men are gone with him."

"Take your wife home, Granger," Rene said. "We've got it from here."

"What about debriefing?"

"I gave Francine a heads up and she said we'd all debrief in the morning. Seven-thirty, her office. All six of us."

"Well, okay then. We'll see you all in the morning. You all did a great job tonight."

"We lost Jamal's man." Rene was sober.

"I have a feeling we won't next time."

Everyone's expression was grim as Matt followed Sarah out of the van.


	9. Chapter 9

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Nine

Hurrying down the hall towards the training room, Sarah dreaded Richard Wong's reaction. She was late. She had been running late all morning—Matt had been working out downstairs when Sarah's alarm had gone off, but she had failed to wake up. Despite Sarah's oversleeping, Matt had managed to get them to their seven-thirty meeting on time. Too bad it had run longer than thirty minutes…

_Francine had acted like she wanted heads to roll. The section chief could not decide if she was mad at Grace for leaving Sarah alone with one of Jamal's men, despite what they had learned. But she was also peeved at Grace and Sarah for not realizing that they weren't talking to a real professor. Matt and Rene received an earful for not noticing the women's conversation with the impersonator. Francine did not leave Strickland and Dugone out either. They were chewed out for listening in and not figuring it out. _

_Matt was silent throughout the entire diatribe. Sarah knew that he was taking Francine's rant personally. After all, he was the agent of record and was the one calling most of the shots the night before. Her heart went out to him. The guy needed to catch a break. The imposter's threat towards her had unnerved Matt. Then the fake Talbert had slipped right out of their hands. It did not help that after they had gone home, Sarah had fallen asleep on her husband before he had had a chance to finish brushing his teeth. She had not even kissed him good night. And then they had been rushing around this morning._

_Tension in the room was running high by the time Chief Beaman had lectured Strickland and Dugone. As she ranted and raved, Francine paced the room, just like Sarah's father—a section chief for many years—had done many times when he was frustrated._

_As Francine paused to catch her breath, Sarah took her own deep breath and uttered, "Wasn't this fake Dr. Talbert only doing what the rest of us were doing at the party last night? Even Matt, who has the education to be an engineer, is still faking his part, just like the professor was. And didn't it give us some insight into Jamal? He's nervous, or he wouldn't have someone checking up on Matt's and Rene's wives. If we were able to fool him, it only will help Matt and Rene with their cover."_

_Francine stopped pacing to stare at Sarah. "Geez, that's uncanny. I feel like Amanda King just gave me a lecture."_

_Sarah sat, wide-eyed, afraid that she might have made things worse for Matt or the others in the room. But Francine simply smiled at her._

"_Leave it to a Stetson," she nodded at Matt, "or at least the descendant of one, to point out the obvious." Francine stopped behind Sarah and patted her shoulder. "We may not have Jamal, but we know that he's nervous. Emily Farnsworth would probably be pointing that out for us right now. Unfortunately, she could not join us via teleconference today." Francine went to her seat. "Sarah and Grace, we should have some photos for you to I.D. this morning." She glanced over at Sarah. "As soon as you can break free, I need you to try to identify the man who posed as Dr. Talbert."_

_In the end, Matt left to write up a report with Grace and Rene's help, and Strickland and Dugone went to write up their own report. Sarah had been excused from the meeting, but not before Francine had pulled her aside as the room emptied._

"_You're doing well, Sarah. Your parents would be proud of you. When I compared you to your mom, I meant it as a compliment. I used to find her so irritating—at first because I was a snob, but later because I was jealous. She not only had your dad wrapped around her finger, but our boss as well. It was for a good reason—she's a sweet person and she was doing a great job. I miss working with your parents. They were pros. Having you here is like having a little bit of both of them around, along with your own unique insights and talents. Keep it up."_

"_Thanks, Francine. That's very sweet of you to say. I don't think Richard will be very happy with me today. I'm going to be late." Sarah started to step away._

_Francine looked like she was about to say something, but she stopped herself. "Better get to it, then. And don't let him get to you. If you can stand up to me, you can stand up to Richard Wong." Francine winked at Sarah just before she rushed from the room._

Now, as Sarah entered the training room, Wong stopped in the middle of his lecture to wait for her to take her seat. "Nice of you to join us, Agent Granger. You do know we start at eight o'clock." He checked his watch. "Of course maybe you felt you could just bend the rules and come in at eight fifteen?"

Sarah held her breath as she sat down, praying silently for a suitable answer. "My apologies, Agent Wong. I was detained."

A female voice whispered a little too loudly nearby. "Detained by your hot husband, Agent Granger? And you left early yesterday, too."

Vowing to keep her distance from Catherine from now on, Sarah felt her skin flush as the other agents snickered.

Wong's lips flattened into a frown at Catherine's remark, but he did not silence the room. He turned back to the slide show that was displayed on the projection screen. Sarah was horrified as she saw her father's photo there. Wong had been briefing the freshman agents on basic information surrounding some of the Agency's old cases this week. Now he was discussing one of her father's old cases and she had walked in late. Sarah thought it was strange that Wong would display a photo of the agent involved with the case—usually it was not relevant.

Glancing around the room, Sarah saw that most of the other agents were watching the slide show presentation. It was something about a case from the Cold War era, and Wong was discussing the KGB's involvement. So far Wong had not yet mentioned her father or mother by name, but she did not know what he had said before she entered the room. At least she was no longer Sarah Stetson. This was a good time to send up a prayer of thanks for Matt's willingness to marry her before she began training. At least she was a Granger now. She could keep her anonymity.

But as her eyes drifted back to the front of the room, Sarah was taken aback to see Greg Costas eyeing her speculatively. Grant Hill had exchanged eye contact briefly, but Sarah had sensed some sympathy in his expression. Greg was not offering any sympathy in his gaze. She felt as if he suspected her of something—perhaps his time as a police officer, however short, had made him that way. Brushing off her concern, Sarah directed her attention to the front of the room.

"…in this case, the agent was able to take advantage of his contact in the Russian Embassy to gain inside information. Another informant was a gas station attendant who understood Russian."

Grant raised his hand. At Wong's nod, he asked, "Those sound like pretty tricky contacts to set up. How does one manage to do it?"

Smirking, Wong replied, "Well, let's just say both of them were female. Obviously the single agents can use their discretion… By policy we don't encourage any kind of fraternization."

Catherine spoke up without raising her hand. "So this agent was on 'friendly' terms with all of his informants? That could be pretty hard to keep up." She snickered and several other agents followed suit.

Richard Wong refused to make eye contact with Sarah. Grant Hill was casting sympathetic glances her way again. As for Sarah, she was doing her best to hide her feelings of mortification. Her mother had also been involved in the case that was being discussed. They had been married at the time.

"While I'm sure that Agent Wong has briefed all of you on this example case, he may not have mentioned that the agent of record brought other agents with him to interview those contacts." Francine stood at the back of the room, her eyebrows raised at Wong. "There were men _and_ women among his family of eyes and ears. He gained their trust by offering practical help if needed. A few people took bribes. The rest were eager to serve their country."

Wong was defensive. "But you can't deny, Chief Beaman, that the agent of record was known for his—"

"—professionalism? Why of course." As Francine made her way to the front of the room she smiled at Wong, but the smile did not reach her eyes. "Why don't I get started with the presentation you asked me to make this morning? The agents might enjoy hearing a few tales from someone who experienced those Cold War days firsthand."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

After lunch the next day, the agents filed into the staging area of the Arena. After today they would be graduating to group laser tag scenarios, so this was their last chance to get a good score for their file.

Sarah sat down to wait her turn and in an attempt to relax, allowed her mind to wander. She thought of her to do list for that weekend. Matt had picked up the groceries they needed, but she still had a few things to pack. Picturing the list of items for their suitcase, Sarah went over it in her mind. Toothpaste—she should make sure that there was enough left in the tube in her toiletries bag. Pills—yes, they were in that bag. But had she taken one this morning? Sarah could remember swallowing the pill that morning, but a nagging thought entered her mind. Had she taken her pill the day before? Had she taken one every day that week? She had started the new round of pills a day or two—well, three days late, really. Or was it four days late? Taking one in the evening was practically missing a day. She mentally chastised herself for being so careless with the birth control medication.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Grant Hill turned to her. "So, what did you think of that exam this morning? You probably aced it, since you have a Master's in that subject."

"Oh, it wasn't all on Cold War history and politics." As the two chatted about the test they had taken that morning, out of the corner of her eye she noticed Greg Costas take a seat nearby. As Costas took an obvious interest in their conversation, Sarah tried not to be self-conscious while Grant complained about one of the trick questions.

Seeing Costas, Grant fell silent and leaned forward so he could look Greg in the face, then resumed speaking once again. Both he and Sarah kept it superficial until Costas was called.

"What the hell was that about? Why does he keep such a close eye on you, Sarah?"

A feeling of unease filled Sarah. "Was he?"

"Yeah?" Grant was incredulous. "You noticed him sit down. He watches you a lot."

"Maybe he thinks I'm the ringer," she whispered, laughing softly at her own joke.

"Or he is. Just watch your back."

Sarah was already trying not to worry about Jamal. Now she had another agent who seemed to suspect her.

"Have you noticed that White and Blakeley are not here?"

Glancing around, Sarah acknowledged his remark. "I guess not. I never really talked with them. Do you know why?"

"They didn't get high enough scores in marksmanship this week, so Agent Wong is having them practice while we work in the Arena. They have to come in this evening. They are not happy."

Sarah blew out her breath. "Oh, that's too bad. This was our first day to leave early in two weeks."

"Yeah." He grinned at her. "I hear that you have the weekend off. Maybe you can catch up on sleep so you won't nod off in class."

"Oh, leave me alone." Sarah could not help but grin back. Grant was one of the few agents who seemed genuinely friendly—she knew he was teasing.

"You and Matt have some fun plans? I bet he misses you. I saw the way he watched you in the hand-to-hand combat class yesterday."

"Yes, we have plans." Sarah eyed him speculatively. "You speak as one who understands. And I appreciated how you didn't laugh at Catherine's crude joke yesterday. Do you have a girlfriend, Grant? You were new to D.C. in December, so I never thought to ask."

Grant could not help but grin once again. "Yeah. She's flying in for Valentine's Day in two weeks. She and I went to college together and she's working on her Master's."

"Oh, that's great! I hope you have something special planned."

Just then Grant's name was called over the sound system. "I guess it's my turn to get ready. Wish me luck."

After Grant left the room, Catherine took his chair. "You two are real buddies now. If I didn't know that you were already happily married…"

Sarah's brow creased. "What are you talking about? We're friends. At least he doesn't make innuendos about everything. I am happily married." Sarah stood. "Really, Catherine."

Chagrined now, Catherine put a hand out to stop Sarah. "I'm sorry. I guess I do get carried away. I should know by now that you don't like that kind of humor. I guess I act like that when I'm nervous. Besides, you should get used to it. It's part of being a cop or an agent."

Sarah's expression relaxed. "Apology accepted. But I think you should know that my marriage and my husband are off limits from your joking from now on."

"Well, you have to admit that it was pretty funny when you came in late after having the evening off Wednesday."

"Things aren't always what they seem, Catherine. Don't make assumptions without getting all of the facts. You should know that."

Unaware that he had returned to the room, both women were startled at Greg Costas's words of wisdom, Sarah especially. Before she could say anything more, her name was called.

As Sarah made her way out of the waiting area, she felt that she may have misjudged Greg Costas. He had certainly saved her from having to come up with an excuse for leaving early on Wednesday. Perhaps she had made false assumptions about him, too.

Entering the Arena with the Glock 19 loaded and ready to fire, Sarah realized that for once, she was not nervous. Her last two trials had earned her near-perfect scores, and she was looking forward to the laser tag team trials. Hopefully she would not be paired up with Catherine. Although Sarah's gun was the only one with real cartridges and she was the only real shooter in the Arena, it was unnerving to hear the sounds of gunfire surrounding her during the trials.

After taking a few deep breaths, Sarah stretched a little and prepared for the trial to start.

"Okay, Sarah. You have friendlies on the far side of the hill. Be prepared to go in five seconds." At Leatherneck's signal to begin, she crouched down and ran uphill, away from the sound of the gunfire. She was cautious as she approached the vantage point she wanted, so when the gunman popped up, she made short work of him. Next, a college-aged girl with water gun appeared and Sarah continued past her.

Once she was at the top of the hill, Sarah had a clear view of her target. Three gunmen had "commandeered" the building below her. Wishing for one of the rifles they would be able to use with the laser tag simulations, she knew she would just have to do her best with the handgun. The gunmen, actually two men and a woman, were not too far away.

After disabling the gunmen, Sarah waited for the all clear, but she was not done yet. Another gun was being fired from inside the building, but she could not make out where the assailant was. She crept down the hill, remaining under cover of the shrubbery until she reached a path that would expose her to the building. She glanced around for some other route, but she did not want to stray into friendly fire. Waiting for another round of gunshots from the friendlies, she tensed, ready to spring across the path.

"Agent Granger, the friendlies are advancing towards your location."

It was now or never. Just then another round of gunshots reverberated around the Arena, and Sarah sprang across the path. Because of the sounds of the other gunfire, she could not be certain that she had not been fired at—she would know at the end of the trial. Continuing to the building, she slipped around the back of the building and squeezed through the small space she had found during her practices in December. Flattening herself against the back wall, she eased up to the corner of the building and peeked around. A lone woman with a rifle was hiding behind some cartons. Or rather, a sheet metal representation of a woman.

Per procedure, Sarah called out to the woman. "Put down your weapon."

The sheet metal figure rotated quickly. Not waiting for the sound of a gunshot that would probably signal her failure to survive, Sarah fired the Glock.

Immediately the lights came on. Gazing up at the window, Sarah could see that Leatherneck and his assistant were not alone. Both of her parents and her husband had been watching her final trial. Matt and her father both pumped their fists up in the air and her mother gave her a thumbs up.

"Nice work, Agent Granger. Wait there and we'll come out to you."

Sarah had removed the magazine from her gun and locked the Glock in the open position by the time Leatherneck reached her. She handed the weapon and the nearly empty magazine to him and reached in her pocket for the extra magazines she had not needed.

"That was one of the best I've seen Sarah."

She offered him a small smile. "I know you have to back up your evaluations with video, Leatherneck, but aren't you still kind of biased?"

Lee was beaming. "No, he wasn't being biased, Pumpkin. You got a ninety-nine. It would have been a perfect score, but Leatherneck didn't want to catch any grief for you sneaking behind the building."

"It's still Junior's secret. I'm going to pretend I don't know how she gets here."

"We were having a debate over whether that is a legal passageway. I say it is." Amanda winked at her daughter. "But I no longer have a say in the matter."

Matt stepped up to Sarah and wrapped his arms around her. He spoke in her ear. "I'm so proud of you."

"Well, I'm proud of you, too, Junior. Now you all had better sneak out that door over there. I have several more of you freshmen to get through this maze."

As the four of them stepped towards the door to the hallway, Sarah turned towards Leatherneck and walked backwards. "I'm looking forward to laser tag next week. I've haven't been since I went with Dad, Phillip, and Jamie back in high school."

Leatherneck rolled his eyes. "This should be just as exciting."

The four of them were in the hallway and Lee was making certain the door had locked when Sarah asked, "Why doesn't Leatherneck like laser tag?"

"He thinks it's a waste of time. He wanted you all to practice with paintballs at Station One." Lee rolled his eyes, too. "I can see his point. It's more realistic. But it can also be as cold as hell, it's too far away, and the mess is… Well, let's just say we didn't need these games when we were learning."

Amanda reached for Sarah and gave her a hug. "I never properly congratulated you, sweetheart. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks for surprising me—all of you." She leaned up against the wall. "I have to say I'm glad to be done. We just have debriefing once the last man is through and we're done for the week."

Amanda reached up to smooth the hair away from Sarah's face. "You need the break. Emily said you have been working too hard, and I agree with her."

"It's just part of being a freshman agent, Mom. You know that."

"I didn't work anyone as hard as Richard works you."

"Please don't talk to Gil Barclay about it. It will only make Richard more angry with me."

"More angry?" Lee honed in on that comment. Nothing made his hackles rise more than unfair criticism or treatment of his family.

"Oh. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Come on, Sarah. You never talk about anything negative when I see you. You're bottling it all up."

"It might help to talk about it. You seem frustrated, sweetheart."

Sarah hesitated, but after seeming to make a decision, she plunged into the story. "I was late to class yesterday—we'd had an early debriefing with Francine that went over. I got an earful for being late. On top of that, we were learning about Cold War era counterintelligence—"

Lee snorted. "You could have taught that class. You have a post graduate degree in it."

"Not quite, Daddy. Just the history surrounding it. Anyway, they had been discussing one of your cases from the eighties. Your photo was on the screen as I walked in. I don't know what I missed. But when someone asked about it, Richard made some kind of comment about how you had gotten your informants—female informants—to give you intelligence. Their conversation made you look bad—you were married to Mom." Sarah's voice drifted off and she looked away.

Lee wore a pained expression. Amanda was quick to soothe her daughter. "But your father and I met with the informants together."

"I would never have cheated on your mother, Sarah. You must know that." Lee's voice broke at those last words.

Sarah placed her hand on her father's arm. "I do know that. And Francine came in and defended you. I just get tired of all the innuendos and other stuff."

Matt searched for a way to placate Sarah. "It's just their way of easing the tension, honey."

Amanda was not ready to agree with Matt. "Hmm. And Richard Wong didn't do anything about this joking around?"

Sarah did not reply to her mother, instead she looked down the hall. Several of her classmates were coming towards them. She grew agitated. "Uh, these people don't know we're related."

"And they also probably have no idea who we are. I want to meet your classmates." Amanda stood her ground.

"Oh, Amanda. Give the kid a break. What if they figure out who we are?"

Matt stood by apprehensively. Although he had a few things to finish before he left for the weekend, he could not abandon Sarah now. At least her classmates knew who he was.

As the group drew near, Greg, Catherine, and Grant stopped to talk with Sarah. It was Catherine who spoke up first. She was doing her best to make up for her earlier behavior. "Hey, Granger. Hear you got the top score. Way to go."

Sarah acknowledged the compliment. Grant Hill stood to one side, watching like Matt, but not saying anything.

Amanda nudged Sarah. "Are you going to introduce your fellow agents, Sarah?"

Hiding her reluctance to have her classmates meet her parents, Sarah tried to be polite. "Catherine Scott, Greg Costas, and Grant Hill. These are my parents, Lee and Amanda."

Greg eyed Lee and Amanda speculatively. "You look very familiar, Lee."

Lee offered a friendly smile. "I'm sure you've confused me with someone else."

"You do look familiar." Catherine stood next to Greg. "I've seen your photo somewhere."

Stepping forward, Grant announced a little too loudly, "We really need to get back to the waiting area, everyone." He turned to Sarah and her family. "We were just stretching our legs. Catherine still hasn't gone through yet. It was nice to meet you, Lee and Amanda. Have a great weekend, Matt."

Greg opened his mouth as if to stall their departure, but Lee and Amanda took that opportunity to beat a hasty retreat. "It was a pleasure to meet you all," Amanda threw over her shoulder as Lee guided her towards the elevators. Matt followed close behind, ostensibly escorting them from the building.

Noting that the elevator her parents were boarding was the one that could also take them to the bullpen, Sarah briefly wondered if her mother was going to say something to Francine or Gil Barclay about Richard Wong's behavior. She said a little prayer, hoping that her mother would stay out of it. Afraid of antagonizing the freshman trainer, Sarah did not think having her mother complain about him would help in any way. She had not said anything to her parents about the way Francine had been protecting her, but she had begun to wonder if Richard Wong had noticed. Perhaps that was why he was seemingly resentful of her.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Leaving Amanda to visit with Francine and Efraim, Lee made his way to Gil Barclay's office. Contemplating how he would broach the subject of Richard Wong's indiscreet remarks to the freshman class without behaving like a complete helicopter parent, he was taken aback when the security guard stepped in front of him.

"You'll need to show I.D. here, sir. And we'll need to have you scanned for biometric I.D.s."

"Of course." Lee produced his I.D., glad that for whatever reason, he was still allowed free access to the Agency's directorial offices—and that he did not require an escort. Amanda was not even allowed to walk by herself in the Agency any longer. After he had looked into the retinal scanner and produced his thumbprint, he made his way towards the Agency director's offices.

Rattled and still a little distracted, Lee was caught off guard by the new receptionist outside Gil Barclay's office.

"Hello Mr. Stetson."

The young, attractive woman who had previously sat at the desk had been replaced by a no-nonsense receptionist with graying hair and reading glasses. And she knew his name. Although the biometric scanners had been installed not long after 9/11, Lee had never grown quite used to having the security equipment notify receptionists of approaching visitors.

He reached out a hand. "And you are?"

"Constance Withers."

While her handshake was firm, it was obvious to Lee that Ms. Withers was more interested in ushering him into Gil Barclay's office.

"Nice of you to see me on such short notice, Gil." Lee walked purposefully into the office as Barclay stood up partway from his desk chair and reached out a hand to shake Lee's.

"We go back aways, Lee. I figured it must be important." Barclay steepled his hands as he watched Lee take a seat in a chair opposite him. "I'm hearing good things about your daughter. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, eh?"

"Thanks, Gil. I'd like to think she picked up some of my better qualities, but in reality, she gets it all from Amanda."

"Well, I've heard otherwise. Seems likes she blessed with the best of both. You should be proud of her."

"I am." Lee had wondered if it had been Francine speaking up on his daughter's behalf—now he was certain. Lee adjusted himself in the seat, ready to change the subject. "And I hope you won't think I'm being one of those annoying meddlesome parents when I bring up an issue that came to my attention today."

Gil's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

"It's Richard Wong. It seems that he was briefing the new recruits on some Cold War cases and made the extra effort to embarrass Sarah by pointing out my previous indiscretions."

His eyebrows knitting together, Barclay glanced briefly out towards the reception area before turning back to Lee, who had not missed his response.

"Well, we all have things we'd like to forget happened, but the truth is, they did."

"In this case, Wong was inferring that I slept with contacts at the Russian embassy and elsewhere while I was on a case—and in a relationship with Amanda at the same time."

Forcing out a laugh, Barclay seemed uncomfortable. "Well, you were known as a player, Lee."

"Geez, Gil." Lee fought to keep his temper in check. He would not win this battle if he lost control. "You knew us back then. I stopped playing the field before Amanda and I even became a couple. I never slept with those women. Wong was slandering me in front of Agency employees—one of whom was my daughter. I want to know what you plan to do about it."

Barclay grew serious. The amused façade was gone. "Unless I can get more on Richard Wong's behavior, I'm afraid I can't do anything."

"What else do you need to know? At least give the jerk a verbal reprimand."

Gil Barclay stood, his eyes fixed on the former section chief. "Look, Lee. I can understand why you would be upset about this. I'll talk to Wong. But only after I hear about this from someone else. You can understand that I would only be making things difficult for Sarah if I said anything now."

Lee stared at Gil for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he ground out, "You know I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this for Sarah. It's what you'd do for one of your kids."

Gil broke their eye contact and stared out his office window towards the reception area. "You have no idea what I'd do for my kids." Seeming to collect his thoughts, he glanced down at his desk. "I'm going to be late for a meeting on the Hill. I need to run. I'm sorry I can't do more for Sarah. She's a strong young woman, Lee. She'll be fine."

Having no choice but to leave the Agency director's office, Lee stood, but could only offer a nod in goodbye.

It was not until he was back in the bullpen, entering Francine's office, that Lee stopped mulling over his meeting with Gil Barclay. He was cordial, but distracted, as he greeted the Beamans and Amanda.

"I hate to be rude, folks, but I'd like to get home. I'll have to catch up with you another time, Francine and Efraim."

"No problems. I've got a pile a foot high here." Francine gestured to a small stack of paperwork. It was an exaggeration, but Lee was certain that Francine had more than just paperwork to wade through. He did not want to think about the number of emails that probably waited in her inbox.

Once they were in the car outside the Agency, Amanda turned to Lee. "Do you mind telling me what's eating you?"

"I confronted Gil Barclay about Richard Wong's stunt." When Amanda opened her mouth to reply, Lee cut her off. "But it wasn't for my sake. It was for Sarah's. No daughter should have to hear that kind of crap about their father. If it were true, that would be one thing, but it wasn't true." He turned to his wife. "Amanda, you know that I never slept with any of those women—you were with me whenever I met with them."

Placing a hand on Lee's arm, Amanda reassured her husband. "I know you were faithful to me Lee. That was a difficult case. You could have died. You almost died."

"If I had slept with anyone at that point in time, it definitely would have been you. I hated seeing you go through all that and I wanted to comfort you any way I could. I knew for certain we were meant to be together." He turned back to the road.

"But that's not really what was eating you. What did Gil say?"

"He played it all down. And he was acting so strangely. He'd stare off into space. And then I said something about how I was coming to him not for my sake, but for Sarah's sake, and he got all strange again. Said he'd do the same for his kids."

"It sounds like he knows exactly what you're talking about."

"I can't see him cheating on Georgette."

"Even the best of men have fallen, Lee."

"Not Gil. You've known him as long as I have. He may not have street creds, but he's a good director."

"And he's a human being." Amanda sighed and looked out the window. "But it would be just as wrong to infer he had done anything, too. We have no reason to believe that."

"Exactly my point."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Leaning back in her seat, Sarah watched Matt as he negotiated the turns on the way to the cabin. His grey eyes were intense as he watched the road, being careful to avoid any black ice or other dangers. There was not much snow along the road, but the temperature had dipped well below freezing as the sun had set. His forehead held a crease that was not usually there. Perhaps it was from concentrating on his driving, but she sensed his tension and fatigue. While he had not been working the long hours she had, and was often in bed waiting for her when she got home, she knew he did not really sleep well until he knew she was safely under the covers next to him. And Jamal was still out there.

Sarah knew those were not the only things that might be making her husband tense. The first few weeks of their marriage, they had been making up for all the months they had waited for one another. However, for the last two weeks, when Sarah had done little more than sleep and occasionally work out when she was home, Matt had spent many evenings on his own. While she came home tired and just wanting a kiss and a hug, he had probably been hoping for much more. Sarah knew enough about men that she could imagine he was probably looking forward to this weekend alone with her even more than she was looking forward to being alone with him.

"You've been staring at me for five minutes. Everything okay? Do I have something stuck in my hair?" Matt laughed self-consciously at his joke as he glanced her way and touched his head.

She reached out to run her hand along his arm. He sighed audibly, obviously warming to her touch. "I was just enjoying watching you," she murmured. "I've missed being with you."

Catching her hand briefly, he kissed it before letting go to place both hands on the wheel again. He was driving faster now.

Sarah glanced in the sideview mirror. "Are you worried?"

"No. Phillip said he would call me if he picked up on anyone following us out of the metro area. And the road has been fairly quiet this evening. I'm just making sure we have no one behind us when I make the turn up ahead."

"I'll help you watch." Sarah kept her eyes on the sideview mirror, searching for headlights and the darkened shape of a vehicle, but the curves in the road were so tight that nothing appeared behind them.

It was not long before Matt negotiated the turn and killed the car's headlights and eventually the engine. He let the car coast slowly down the long driveway to the cabin, not applying the brakes until they were well out of sight of the road. He reached up to tap his Bluetooth as they pulled up to the cabin. "Granger… Hi, Phillip… Yeah, that was us in the Charger… No one even slowed down at the turn? Okay, let me know. Thanks for keeping an eye out." As he turned to Sarah, she could see in the dim light of the car's interior that his face was already more relaxed than it had been just moments earlier. "Safe and sound. No tails."

She smiled in return and leaned towards him, touching her lips to his. "Let's go inside."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Matt had been ready to make out right there. When Sarah had kissed him like that in the front seat, he had not wanted to stop. But reason had won out and he had unloaded the car. Thankfully they had planned a simple supper for that night.

But after turning up the heat and checking the rooms, instead of heading to the kitchen, Sarah had gone into the bedroom. Shrugging his shoulders, Matt had gone to the kitchen and unpacked the cooler, placing the meat and other perishables in the refrigerator. After lighting a fire in the fireplace, he turned to the closed bedroom door and walked tentatively towards it. "Sarah?"

As he called her name, the door opened, and there she stood, silhouetted against the flickering light of the candles she had set around the bedroom. Wearing the same ensemble she had worn the first night of their honeymoon, this time she had not bothered with the dressing gown. Sarah's dark hair hung down her back, exposing her shoulders, covered by only the narrow straps of her sheer light blue camisole.

"You are so lovely." He closed the distance between them and reached for her, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her.

Sarah, however, was not hugging him back. Instead, she was unbuttoning his flannel shirt. She whispered against his mouth, "And you are so very handsome." She slipped her hands inside the shirt, pushing it off of his shoulders and tugging at the t-shirt underneath until it came untucked from his pants. She slipped her hands underneath the fabric and ran them along the bare skin of his back.

His lips made their way along her jaw, down her neck, and to her bare shoulder. Resting his cheek there as he held her close, his voice was muffled. "I love you so much."

"And I love you." Reaching up, she placed her arms around his neck as Matt guided Sarah backwards, almost as if they were dancing, until they reached the bed.

Oh, how he had missed this. It was nice to hold his wife in his arms at night as they slept, but they had needed this, too.


	10. Chapter 10

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Ten

Sarah took a last sip of wine and sat back in her chair. "Thank you for cooking dinner, Matt. It was delicious."

Pushing back from the table, Matt stood and picked up their plates. "It was my pleasure. Besides, I couldn't let the birthday girl do the cooking."

"You've been very sweet all day. You let me sleep in and you let me take a nap while you made dinner. Come to think of it, I haven't been much company."

Matt's thoughts went to the night before and that other time after breakfast this morning. "Oh, you've been very nice company." He turned and winked at her. "Of course, I was referring to the hike we took this afternoon."

"Of course." Sarah snickered.

"Now, close your eyes and don't be frightened if you hear strange sounds coming from me."

Suppressing a giggle, Sarah closed her eyes. She could guess what was coming next.

After rustling about at the kitchen counter, Matt began singing the birthday song. Yes, he was a little off-key, but she loved the deep timbre of his voice. Sarah opened her eyes to see her husband carrying a small chocolate cake to the table. A few lit candles decorated the top. He set the plate before her and sat down next to her as he finished singing.

Leaning towards his chair, Sarah reached out to hug Matt. He returned the embrace, kissing her hair.

"Thank you, honey. This really is very sweet."

"Well, you had to listen to me singing."

"You have a nice voice."

"You're exaggerating. Blow out the candles before they melt the frosting." Matt drew away so Sarah could turn back to her cake.

Once she had blown out the candles and cut two pieces of cake, Matt produced the gift bag that he had stowed under the table before dinner. "For my amazing wife. Sorry there's no card."

"You already gave me a wonderful card on Monday. I've re-read it ten times at least." Reaching into the bag, Sarah produced a holster. She turned to Matt, a polite smile on her face. "No one has ever given me a holster before."

At Sarah's expression, Matt laughed a little uncertainly. But he was matter-of-fact as he explained the gift. "The Glock is kind of bulky for a purse. This way you won't have to borrow a holster when you need to be armed." He took the holster from Sarah and showed her the straps and fasteners. "It's adjustable so you can wear it above the knee or just above the ankle." He gestured to the bag. "Look inside again."

Sarah produced a shoulder holster. "I can wear this one when I'm not undercover. Frankly, the leg holster is not as comfortable, but it is handy to have. Thank you Matt." She leaned over to kiss him, then took a bite of her cake.

He watched her for a moment, a mildly amused expression on his face. "Well, now that we have the practical stuff out of the way, here's your main gift." Matt placed a small box, festooned with a large fabric bow, on the table.

Sarah laughed a little. "The holsters were very thoughtful."

Smirking in return, Matt was frank. "I'm not so dense as to give you just the holsters for your birthday. Now open this gift."

Her expression now alight with anticipation, Sarah busied herself with removing the bow from the box without damaging the ribbon. "You've given me some very nice gifts, Matt."

Not replying, he only watched expectantly as Sarah removed the lid. He grinned as she exclaimed over the box's contents.

"Oh, it's a charm bracelet. It's just beautiful." She took her time examining the silver chain and clasp, and the two charms that hung from the bracelet. She smiled softly as she fingered the heart that was engraved with their initials. Then she examined the second charm. "Skis and ski poles!" She glanced up at Matt. "I love it."

"When I saw the skis, I knew it was the perfect gift. I thought it would be fun to add to it after special events, anniversaries, that sort of thing. It seemed like a good time to start one, since we just got married." He reached out and took the bracelet. "Let me help you fasten it on this one time. It's got a fancy clasp that's supposed to be easy to manage with one hand."

Matt placed the bracelet on Sarah's wrist, but she played with the clasp, unfastening and fastening it a couple of times. "It's perfect to start with our honeymoon—skiing." Sarah's eyes were shining as she looked at Matt once again. When he reached for her, she scrambled into his lap, placing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly on the lips.

"Well, that's a nice start to thanking me." He grinned at her mischievously for a moment, but his expression soon softened as he studied her face tenderly. "You really do love the bracelet, don't you? You're eyes are shining."

"Yes, I love the bracelet—and the holsters. But I love the giver so very much more. Thank you for a wonderful birthday."

"You're welcome, but it's not over yet. Let's eat our cake."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Feeling foolish for being waited upon in her own house, Sarah tried to be gracious and sit patiently as her mother brought the salad and bread to the table. Her father followed, carrying a dish of lasagne. A large bouquet of flowers stood on the bar counter. Too big for the table, Amanda had decided to put them there, where they could be seen from every vantage point in the living area.

Catching her eye, Matt offered Sarah a grin and squeezed her thigh under the table. He seemed to have guessed Sarah's thoughts.

"I know how much you like roast, sweetheart, but we had that on Tuesday."

"Yes, it is, Mom. Lasagna travels better, though—and makes great leftovers. Thanks for going to all this trouble."

"Of course," Amanda enthused as she settled in her chair. "I know we already celebrated your birthday, but your father and I thought it would be nice to have another dinner together. This has been fun for me, putting together a meal to bring to your new home. Thanks for coming back a little early from your weekend away."

Lee rolled his eyes a little, but his smile was genuine as he turned to Sarah. "Your mother is still on Cloud Nine when it comes to you being newly married." What he did not say was that Amanda was doing her best to take Sarah's mind off the fact that her brothers and their families had not joined in the celebration of her twenty-fourth birthday.

"This is really nice, Lee and Amanda. And it smells delicious. Do you mind if I say grace for us?" Matt looked questioningly between Lee and Amanda.

"Sure, son." Lee nodded gruffly.

The foursome chatted through dinner, keeping the conversation light until Matt asked about their consulting business. "So, how is it going with client? I hear there's a connection to my assignment. I've been so focused on the undercover part of things and training Sarah's class on the hand-to-hand that I haven't gotten all the details."

Nodding, Lee replied, "So far our client has not been a concern for your team, since we are handling them. But now we think they may be involved. Your Dr. Talbert has incorporated some electronics into his research that AST wants to use."

"Well, if it involves Dr. Talbert, it may attract Jamal. He hasn't told me what he wants, yet. I start working in the lab this week."

Swallowing a bite of pasta, Sarah added, "Matt also has a night class starting this week. Tuesdays and Thursdays. He's helping teach it."

Amanda's eyebrows raised. "Really? Do you feel comfortable with that?"

"I already studied fusion and plasma physics as an undergrad, so I don't mind teaching it. Dr. Talbert gave me his lecture notes. I'll just help out in lecture and run the lab class on Wednesdays."

"Geez, Granger. Are you sure you don't want to keep up these studies? That's not an engineering class. You took it for fun?" Lee was intrigued and perhaps a little awed.

"Well, I wanted to have some knowledge of nuclear weapons for intelligence work. It was to beef up my resume, to be honest. Besides, it was pretty challenging, but it was interesting. And by the grace of God, I got an A. That's why Jamie put it on my fake transcript. It made me more attractive to Jamal."

"Maybe you should consider taking more of these classes, Matt." Amanda eyed him speculatively.

"Uh, I'll consider it. I hadn't pictured taking graduate classes on top of working. I kind of like seeing my wife once in a while." He grinned self-consciously at Sarah. "Besides, it would take some negotiating to give me credit for the coursework I've done this month, since my records were faked."

"Well, I'm never home in the evenings, so you can have fun with this class and not feel like you're abandoning me."

Amanda's gaze moved to Sarah and her eyes narrowed. "That reminds me, Sarah. How are things going with Richard Wong?

Sitting up straight, Sarah wondered at her mother's tone. This was the voice she used when one of her offspring had been caught in some kind of questionable activity or lie. "Fine, I guess. Why?"

"Well, he was completely out of line on Friday. I wondered if he had said anything else after you spoke with us."

Glancing nervously at Matt, Sarah did not say anything. The last thing she wanted was her mother going after Richard Wong.

Amanda persisted. "I'd like you to document whatever that man says if he acts inappropriately again. It was not allowed when I trained Richard Wong—or anyone else for that matter. I taught those young men and women to treat each other professionally."

Lee broke in. "Amanda, you know that they teased each other unmercifully outside of meetings."

"But not in them. Not in front of the entire class of students. Francine tells me that they began making remarks."

Sarah had heard enough. "Mom. There's nothing you can do that wouldn't embarrass me more or make things worse for me. I shouldn't have told you."

Lee took charge of the table. Sitting up straight, he reached for Sarah's empty plate and stacked it on his own, then stood up, towering over everyone. "Your mother is right, what Wong did was not professional, but there isn't much we can do about it other than ignore it or hope the subject changes quickly."

Matt joined in, his tone sober. "I have to agree with Lee, but I will say that from what I've observed, Wong is not going to have a cohesive team. But that's a conversation for another day. Didn't I see a dessert come in the door?" He smiled, but Sarah could see it had not quite reached his eyes.

Staring at Matt thoughtfully for a moment, Lee looked as if he might say something, but instead, cast his eyes in the direction of Amanda, who had gone to the kitchen to slice up the apple pie she had made.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

The next morning, Amanda came into the office to find her husband already occupied with the computer. He barely glanced up as she placed a mug of coffee on his desk. "Thanks, Amanda."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, I hope."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Amanda queried further. "What does that mean?"

Glancing up at his wife, Lee suddenly pushed back from his desk and gave Amanda his full attention. "I know that I defended Gil Barclay to you, but he was acting pretty fishy that day I confronted him. Kept staring out at his new receptionist. She's a nice enough woman, but very… sensible."

"What happened to his old receptionist? What was her name?"

"Whitney. Whitney Collier."

"I take it you're looking into why she left?"

"You read me like a book, Mrs. Stetson."

"That's not news, Mr. Stetson. I've been reading you since we've met. Now, tell me what you've found that has you so preoccupied."

"Well, I didn't find it. Jamie did. I convinced him that we might find some information that would thwart Wong's plans for Sarah, and he was onboard in a flash."

Amanda frowned a little. "I'm sure he was."

"Apparently Ms. Collier left suddenly. No notice. This was right around Christmas time."

"That would be old news, then."

"But well-timed for Richard Wong's change in behavior."

"Sarah starting her training was the reason behind that."

Lee rubbed his hand over his chin. "Maybe. Jamie says that the personnel files have been sealed. That's pretty unusual for administrative workers. He has clearance to look at our personnel files—well, people at our level who still work there."

Distracted, Amanda nodded. "He can't access the files of anyone in our family." She continued to think out loud. "Do you remember seeing Gil in December, or during the months before that? What was he like?"

Leaning back in his chair, Lee grew thoughtful. "He was a bit closed off, to be truthful. Enthusiastic about Sarah, but didn't have much to say about his family."

"How were things with his receptionist?"

Lee did not answer right away. A sick feeling washed over him. If Gil had done anything wrong, was it any of their business? Did he really want to know that the man he had respected had done something despicable to his family? He and Amanda were merely speculating. "This is just gossip, isn't it?"

"Probably. But you know something, don't you?"

"Yeah. Well, Jamie also has access to all computer files below the confidential security level—and even some at higher levels. He went snooping in Richard Wong's computer files—the ones he had been accessing for personal use. He did not find anything in the regular files. But there were several items in the recycle bin. Wong had retrieved several incriminating files and videos of Gil."

"What are we talking about?"

"Well, first of all, they triggered a memory of the time I had talked to Gil before Christmas. He was planning to stay in town. I thought it was unusual, because he usually got the kids all together for a ski trip. He and Georgette had made a tradition out of it. But he claimed that Georgette had a bum knee and the kids were all busy."

"So, he and Georgette were alone?"

"That's just it. Georgette left town to stay with one of the kids. In fact, she stayed through Christmas."

"And Gil joined them there, right?"

"Yeah, but only for two nights. Jamie found videos of Gil's office in Wong's trashed files. Gil and Whitney don't do anything obviously inappropriate, but she's in his office a lot, and they left together several times, including a few times when Georgette was out of town."

"So? He walked her to her car. Is that so bad?"

"No. Except the idiot was caught on traffic cameras following her to her apartment one night. Wong hacked the elevator camera and… Well, let's just say neither Whitney or Gil saw the camera—and he did not go home to feed the dog that night."

"Lee, this is none of our business. Didn't we see Gil and Georgette together at a restaurant recently?"

"Yes, and yes. And apparently, they still live together."

Making a face, Amanda tried to focus on her computer. "Well, then. I feel disgusting for all this gossip. But I'm glad they are still together. It's possible Gil was just staying the night because they had a flood at the house or something else that kept them from staying there."

"Amanda, you've forgotten the elevator camera. It's pretty obvious he wasn't going to sleep on Whitney's couch—in fact it looked like they might just play their backgammon game on the elevator."

She winced at his words. "Oh, I don't want to know this. This really is none of our business. Poor Georgette. It is possible Gil had a weak moment and regretted it later."

"Well, we don't know the entire story. But we do know Gil Barclay is the director of the Agency, and he most likely has been compromised. And frankly, you're being too kind about calling it a weak moment. He cheated on his wife, and Richard Wong had video and photo files to prove it. He probably thought they were erased from his hard drive—put them on a USB stick or something."

At this, Amanda looked up at Lee again. "But we have no proof Richard did anything about it."

"No. But that isn't stopping Jamie from looking for more evidence to show he did."

"Gil could fire him."

"Jamie knows how to cover his tracks."

"You two are determined to get Richard Wong on blackmail charges. Am I right?"

"If Richard Wong has something on Gil and is using it as leverage to keep his job and make Sarah miserable, then Jamie is determined to stop him. Besides, this is much bigger than Sarah and her job. It could affect national security."

"I can see why you are so concerned."

"But I don't work there any longer. It would look ridiculous if I was involved. At some point I want to figure out how to get Matt in on this."

"Oh, Lee. Matt has so much on his plate. Don't drag him through the mud until you really know something." She shuddered. "Oh, I don't want to believe that Gil cheated on Georgette. It's every woman's worst fear as they get older."

Lee's brow furrowed as he stood and moved around the desks so he could crouch beside Amanda's chair. "You are just as beautiful to me as the day I asked you to help me with the package. I would never do anything to hurt you." He cupped Amanda's cheek. "You know that, right?"

"You remind me about the beautiful thing a lot. But I chalk it up to dementia on your part."

Lee snorted, but it turned into a chuckle. "Well, even the senile know a good-looking woman when they see one." He leaned in and touched his lips to Amanda's and pulled away again. "Seriously. Please don't waste time fretting about me having wandering eyes or whatever."

"I trust you, Scarecrow. And I love you. Even if you did start my day on a sour note."

This time Lee's kiss lasted much longer. Amanda's hand came up to his shoulder, remaining there as they pulled apart again. "That's much better." She smiled at her husband, and then turned back to her computer. "Now, let's get to work."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Watching the students file out of the physics lab on Wednesday, Matt said a quick prayer. After leading the class on his own, he felt for the first time on this assignment that he was in above his head. It might be nice to study for a Master's degree someday, but he just did not have the desire to pour himself into a class like he had when he was in college. His work passion was intelligence, and aside from his faith, his greatest interest in life was his relationship with Sarah. He was satisfied with things the way they were. He still had plenty to learn about both his work and his wife, and those pursuits were enough to keep him happy. He did not want to take on anything more.

Nearly done grading the assignments the students had turned in that day, Matt glanced up when he heard footsteps. Dr. Talbert stood just inside the door of the lab. "How did it go today, Mr. Granger?"

"Well, it was challenging, but we completed the observations you assigned. I'm just about done with the grading. I was going to bring it by your office."

The professor nodded and stepped inside the room. "I'll let you finish. I wanted to show you around my lab before you left for the day."

Matt's eyes lit up. "That would be great. I'll just be a minute." He felt a twinge of guilt for misleading the man. It was great that Dr. Talbert would be showing Matt the lab, but not for the reasons the professor imagined. This was just one step towards solving the case. Either Matt would provide Jamal with what he wanted—or thought he wanted so they could track the materials to Jamal's base of operations—or Sarah would lead the agents there. Matt prayed several times a day that they would not be forced to follow the second option. He did not even want to consider the risks involved.

A few minutes later, Matt gathered up the materials, loaded up his backpack, grabbed his jacket, and locked up. After Matt dropped off the papers at the professor's office, the two men headed to the lab building. The weather had warmed up enough so Matt almost did not need a jacket.

"So, I'm surprised you are only pursuing a Master's degree, Mr. Granger. You're capable enough for a doctorate. In fact, I'm hoping to convince you to redesign your study plan. I could put a word in and you would have no out-of-pocket expenses for your education. We could even give you a larger stipend for your teaching duties. That may help you with rent. Although your wife works, does she not?

"Yes, Sarah works at the same firm where I still do some part-time work. She is in research."

Dr. Talbert did not acknowledge Matt's response as they walked up to the entrance of the research building. Matt waited for the professor to pass his key card over the lock, but instead he stepped aside. "I've had security give you access to this building. The guard inside will add your biometric data to the security system so you can enter the lab itself."

Matt passed his card over the reader, but as he did so, he asked, "Did I miss something, Dr. Talbert? You assigned me to help with one of your classes, but I don't remember being assigned to help you with research."

"Oh, I thought that was understood. I'll need you to come in at least three days a week. You can work around your own class schedule and the teaching schedule I gave you. But your stipend covers teaching the lab class, the grading you just completed, and fifteen hours a week assisting me in the lab." He glanced over his glasses at Matt as they stood just inside the door of the building. "It's quite a privilege, I hope you know."

"Yes, sir." It was a good thing this was his sole responsibility with the Agency at the moment. There was little time left over for anything else in his week, with his classes and homework assignments.

The professor did not wait for Matt to say any more. "Let's get the biometric data out of the way. I want to show you a few things so you can come in tomorrow and get started even if I'm not here. You'll be logging data on the computer for me, cleaning up things, setting up observation equipment, that sort of thing. You've done it as an undergraduate in your lab classes. I may hire another assistant, but for now it will just be you. My advanced doctoral candidates are conducting research with me, so they do not have time for the maintenance you'll be doing."

Raising his eyebrows as the professor led the way to the security desk, Matt contained his mixed feelings of excitement, relief, and apprehension. He was going to be in a perfect position to "steal" the technology Jamal wanted. It would only be a matter of days or weeks before this assignment was over. On the other hand, Jamal's computer hackers would know that he had access to the secure information. The terrorist was likely to be putting the screws on Matt sometime soon.


	11. Chapter 11

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Eleven

It was not until two weeks later that Matt had his dreaded encounter.

Sarah had worked days and evenings since they had returned from their weekend away. Thankfully she had been given last Sunday off, so they were able to go to church. But Mrs. Schmidt had desperately needed help with her garbage disposal and he had been feeling increasingly guilty for not helping the older single women of the church as he had done in the past. Agreeing that it was a worthy use of their time, Sarah had accompanied Matt to her house, charming the widow as the two chatted in her living room and allowed Matt to work unimpeded in the kitchen.

The act of good will and their visit with the pleasant elderly woman had cheered both of them, but it had eaten up a few hours of their precious Sunday alone. After a run through the woods at a park near the townhouse, they lit some candles and celebrated their Valentine's Day early. Matt had wanted to take Sarah to a restaurant, but she had persuaded him to stay home.

"_It's so rare that we can have an evening at home together." _

It had been relaxing, he had to admit. They had cooked dinner together, and afterwards they had danced in the candlelit living room.

Matt was wishing he was at home with Sarah now. The cold air bit his cheeks as he carried the groceries to the Charger. He had just finished loading his car with the bags of food when he heard a soft step approaching. Instantly alert, Matt shut the trunk and turned towards the sound, his hand inside his leather jacket.

"Isn't a bit cold out to be gloveless?" Instead of looking at Matt's exposed left hand, Jamal was eyeing his right hand with interest.

Matt had purposefully stowed his gloves in the pocket near his holster so the bulge would not be so evident. Thankful for that ruse now, he retrieved the gloves from his pocket, zipped up his jacket, and pulled the gloves on his hands as he turned his body fully towards Jamal. Any telltale bulge from the weapon kept under his left arm would now be hidden. "Hello, Mr. Jamal."

Stepping closer so other shoppers could not eavesdrop, Jamal was businesslike. "Since it is cold out, I won't keep you long. I just want you to know that I am so very pleased at your progress with Dr. Talbert. The real Dr. Talbert." Jamal's teeth gleamed as he grinned in the dim light of the parking lot. "I expect you to be prepared to retrieve the needed files very soon."

"How will I know which ones you want?"

Producing a memory stick, Jamal handed it to Matt. "This has the list of information I want. You will have to determine on your own which files contain the information, since Dr. Talbert uses an encrypted server. Of course, if he did not, we would not need your assistance. I will give you until the end of next week to find the files and return this memory stick to me."

"With all due respect, Mr. Jamal, that may be difficult. Security is tight in the facility. My time is limited in the lab, and I have work I have to complete. If I stay over, the time is logged and I will be asked why I stayed late."

Jamal considered this information. "I would like to trust that you aren't stalling, Mr. Granger. After all, we could not let anything happen to that lovely wife of yours." He paused and watched the muscles tense along Matt's jawline. "Tuesday of the following week. That's it." With that, the man turned and walked away, disappearing in the gloom of the shadows at the edge of the parking lot.

Turning back to his car, Matt was hit by a sudden revelation. Jamal knew Matt's car. There was no longer any reason to use the beater and go through the relay at the other apartment complex with Rene each time they left the University of Virginia campus. It did not matter anymore. However, there was one less layer of protection—at some point Jamal may know where he and Sarah—and Rene and Patti—lived.

Nevertheless, as he pulled out onto the street, Matt heaved a sigh of relief. He checked and rechecked his mirrors several times for tails, but drove home with a lighter heart. Two weeks was not really a long time to sweat out this case, but it would give Jamie and his team the window they needed to take Talbert's files and alter them—once Matt found them on the computer. It was a Tuesday—he could spend the next two days, maybe a little time on Friday—working on them. He dialed his Bluetooth so Phillip could set up a conference call with Francine as he drove home.

The call over, Matt was still taking the bags of groceries into the house when an Agency vehicle pulled up to their driveway. He stopped what he was doing and went to greet the car. Just as he reached the passenger side, Sarah opened the door.

"Hey, honey. You're home early."

Grace leaned over from the driver's seat to greet Matt. "We were there three hours, and that was enough." She glanced with concern at Sarah, but the expression was fleeting.

Matt, however, had not missed it. He reached for the car door and leaned in briefly. "Thanks for driving Sarah home. I may be putting in some extra hours on my assignment." He watched Grace's face as she spoke.

"Oh, well, you guys let me know if Sarah needs a ride in." She directed her next comment to Sarah, who stood near Matt. "I'm happy to drive you home at the end of the day."

"Well, I was just a little tired. I'll let you know. Thanks, Grace. See you tomorrow."

After kissing Sarah, Matt turned back to the Charger and grabbed the last two bags from the trunk before shutting it and locking the car. She was walking more slowly than usual, so he had no trouble catching up with her as she entered the house.

"You feeling okay, sweetie?" Matt's forehead was creased with concern.

"Oh, I'll be okay. I just need to go to bed early." Sarah sighed softly as she reached down for a grocery bag.

"I'll get that. You go up to our room and get into some more comfortable clothing. I've got an easy dinner planned. It should be ready in fifteen minutes."

Sarah trudged up the stairs from the entryway and stopped before continuing up to the top level of their townhouse. "Honestly, I'm not very hungry. I ate a big lunch and I'm afraid it left me feeling kind of off for part of the afternoon. Please don't give me very much tonight, okay?"

"Sure, sweetie. It's leftover chicken and rice."

"That's probably good. Thanks." Sarah blew Matt a kiss and disappeared upstairs as he busied himself with the groceries.

Later that evening, he sat outside their bedroom at the desk, finishing the assignment for the next day's class. He would not be going to the Agency, so he talked Sarah into texting Grace and asking for a ride. As he closed up the books and placed them in his backpack, he thought about Sarah's behavior that evening.

She had been too tired to stand with him in the kitchen as he prepared dinner, instead apologizing and taking a seat at the table as she waited for him to serve the food. She had eaten less than half the amount she usually did. However, she had seemed better once she had eaten. Feeling a little more energetic, she had offered to wash the dishes while he dried, but after they had made their lunches for the next day, Sarah had gone upstairs to get ready for bed.

_After she climbed under the covers, he curled up on top of the blankets next to her, stroking her hair. "You aren't feeling well, honey."_

_She yawned. "Well, it's a good sign that I was able to eat dinner. I'm just so tired. I guess all these long hours are catching up with me." She turned to face him and cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry."_

"_For what? Don't apologize for being sick—or whatever it is."_

"_I just wish we could have more than a day at a time together. Wong says Francine wants everyone out doing surveillance until they catch Jamal—although she never actually mentioned his name. You were the one who told me, finally."_

"_That might happen sooner than later. I had a breakthrough—two breakthroughs—today."_

_Sarah started to sit up, but Matt gently held her in place. "I curled up with you to help you go to sleep."_

"_I am warm, now. But you have to tell me what the breakthroughs are."_

"_I have access to the lab now—that's super high clearance information. I am only telling you because it will probably come out at a meeting when we hold one Thursday or Friday. Don't tell your folks." _

"_I know—they have to get all of their intel from Francine or their client." She shifted a little closer to Matt. "That's really great. You can see Dr. Talbert's files?"_

"_Yep. And Jamal figured out I'd gotten access to the lab. The security people must have done something that showed Jamal's people I had access."_

"_Jamal? Did he contact you?"_

"_In the grocery store parking lot. The guy is such a creeper. I can't wait until we put him away." Matt felt a guilty twinge when he thought, Or worse._

"_It sounds like that might not be far off."_

"_No, it isn't. He told me what he wanted, and I have two weeks to get everything together."_

"_Isn't that a long time?"_

"_Not really. I have to work on the sly, and he wants only specific files—they need to fit on a USB stick."_

"_And Jamie has to get someone to alter them."_

_Matt did not say what he was thinking. He wished Sarah was already working for Jamie. She wouldn't be lying here, so tired she was nearly ill. They would have most evenings to themselves or they could have friends over on the weekends. Lee and Amanda had postponed their twenty-fifth anniversary celebration, which had been scheduled for the previous weekend, until further notice, refusing to have the party without Sarah and Matt. He kissed Sarah on the forehead. "I need to let you sleep."_

_It had not taken long for Sarah's breathing to grow slow and even. Feeling her relax against him, he had stayed there a few more minutes, not wanting to leave. Finally he had eased carefully off the bed so he could finish his homework assignment._

Now, ready for bed himself, Matt slipped under the covers. Sarah hardly stirred when he drew near to her. _Only two more weeks,_ he thought, _and hopefully things will be better_.

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Lee held a hand to Amanda's back as he escorted her to the car in the Advanced Systems Technologies parking lot. Glancing around the lot and seeing no one, he leaned towards her and spoke quietly. "It's going to be tricky keeping AST from removing those files from Talbert's hard drives."

"They are completely correct—it is a huge risk having all of that in the lab. Even though he uses an encrypted server, it's not as secure as it could be. Anyone who has access to that lab can hack into his hard drives and steal enough information to create a nuclear weapon."

"The files have to be in that lab, though, or Matt can't pretend to steal them for Jamal. And we are only talking about one component of a weapon." Lee opened the car door for Amanda and helped her in before going to his side.

"He might figure out if they get moved, and we won't have access to them if they go to another site. We need those files in order to make the altered copies."

"Let's stop by the Agency and talk to Francine. She needs to know what's going on. Maybe she has some intel that will help us."

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Inside his car across the parking lot, Jamal cursed softly as he placed the headphones back in their case. His long range listening equipment had only picked up bits and pieces of the conversation. These were agents—the man, with his distinctive height and hair, looked vaguely familiar. The woman reminded him somewhat of Sarah Granger and the thought of that had him on edge. Jamal had been unable to hear enough to learn what the agents knew. He had expected intelligence agents to come close to his operation. If only he knew how close they were. The lack of information bothered him little, however. He picked up the camera with the telephoto lens and snapped a few photos quickly before lowering the equipment, placing it out of sight once again. Just for precaution's sake, he would have his staff identify the man and woman.

He smiled to himself. Matthew Granger was playing right into his hands. Because of the foolish young man, it would not be long before Jamal would be able to shut down his operations and disburse his staff. If he was correct, the data and other information Granger was obtaining for him might be enough to allow him to retire. Jamal could go home and enjoy his family.

The only thing that remained for him to decide was how to dispose of the Grangers. It would be a shame to allow such a lovely woman to go to waste.

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"We're one step ahead of you on this, Scarecrow, thanks to your son-in-law." In her office, Francine settled into an armchair across from Lee and Amanda, who were seated on the sofa.

"Oh?" Amanda answered for her husband. "Is Matt already downloading files?"

"Don't ask too many questions, friends. As much as I trust you, by law I can't go into specifics. Let's just say your instincts are correct. And we will do our best to work quickly, so your client won't have to wait long to move those files to a more secure location."

"Is Jamal leaving Sarah alone?" Lee leaned forward, his eyebrows furrowed.

Francine sat up straight, clearly uncomfortable, and did not answer immediately.

His eyes boring into Francine's, Lee jaw twitched. "What aren't you telling us, Francine? I can guess what Matt is doing. What is going on with Sarah?"

"It's the same level of clearance as Matt's activities. I can't talk about it, Lee."

Amanda placed a hand on Lee's arm. "Lee, we're going to have to get used to this."

He sighed heavily but did not say anything.

"Emily and I are both very proud of her. You should be, too. She's so much like you, Amanda." Francine smiled at her and turned to Lee. "With some of your feistiness, Scarecrow."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

"It's a good thing, Lee. She's not afraid of guns, and she can hold her own in hand-to-hand. You were there when she passed her test. Only half of her class passed that day. She's practicing in the range instead of the Arena, now. You can take the credit for that."

"Matt and Leatherneck should take the credit." Lee got up to pace. "I dropped the ball."

"Oh now, Lee, don't go there. You were the one who first taught Sarah all those things. She just needed to review." Amanda turned to Francine. "Speaking of Emily, is she still on the case? Tristan said she is not doing well."

"She has backed off." Francine was sober. "She'll teleconference our meetings a few days a week, but it's not consistent. Are you planning a visit?"

Lee glanced at Amanda. Francine was not asking that question for social reasons. "We're planning to go in April."

Francine nodded in reply and stood up. "I hate to hurry you out of here, but I have a meeting in thirty and a pile of emails to get through before that."

"Better you than me, Francine." Lee grinned mischievously at her, his dimples evident.

Her eyes narrowed, "Don't get started."

Lee offered Amanda a hand and headed for the door. "I suppose we could spy on our offspring." He turned to Francine. "Do you know where she is right now?"

"I think they're offsite at a paintball facility."

Lee scowled as Amanda said their goodbyes. "See you later, Francine. Call us if things heat up at UVa."

Francine heard Lee's voice as he and Amanda made their way out of the bullpen. "What is this paintball stuff? That's something kids do, not trained agents. What is Leatherneck thinking?"

Chuckling, the section chief turned back to her desk.

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A bright orange smear caught Sarah's eye as she waited on the bench in the training room with the other students for Matt to arrive. Sarah brought her fingernail closer to her face and saw that she had not been thorough enough with her scrubbing after their paintball outing. Leatherneck had pulled a few strings and managed to rent a paintball field for them to use. Sarah preferred laser tag to paintball for the mess, but she could see the merits of paintball. It closely resembled actual combat—or more practically for the Agency, urban warfare.

However, the outing had left her fellow agents in a mix of moods. Several were irritable, as Wong had been harsh in his criticism at the end of their first exercise, pointing out individual agent's mistakes and not team issues. These criticisms had been a regular occurrence since the beginning of training, but they were increasing in frequency. A few of the agents had become aloof and distant, tired of being embarrassed for slipping up. Others had become open in their mockery of the agents who made the most mistakes. Catherine, for one, seemed to have good intentions when confronted, but she was one of the most likely to poke fun at the others. The other female agents, Lucy Hernandez and Cherise Albert, along with Sarah, tried to stay out of the banter.

Greg Costas was nice, but he was analytical. Sarah noticed that he had become less forgiving of others' mistakes as Wong's criticism increased. Of all the agents in her class, Albert, White, and Blakeley had probably demonstrated the poorest performances. Wong had been particularly harsh with them, and now Greg was making audible remarks. Rather than put Greg in his place and tell him to leave the other agents alone, Richard had ignored Greg's behavior. Grant Hill had tried to reason with Greg, but Greg had been dismissive. She guessed that it was only a matter of time before the struggling agents quit the program. Between the caustic remarks of their instructor and the other trainees, they were too discouraged to continue.

Glancing about the room, Sarah did not envy her husband. They were a cranky bunch, tired from running around the Arena or the paintball field every day. The ones who had barely passed the physical endurance testing at the beginning of their training had become particularly irritable. Sarah wondered why regular jogging or running was not an ongoing requirement for agents.

But she had to admit running was not helping her now. Thanks to Grace, for the last two nights she had arrived home much earlier than usual. But the extra sleep had not seemed to improve her energy levels. It had grown increasingly difficult to eat regular meals. Worried, Matt had suggested she make a visit to the Agency doctor once again. With her busy schedule, Sarah knew seeing Dr. Fitzgerald would be hard to fit into her day. And she was not very motivated. The entire incident with her shoulder had been blown out of proportion. And she already had her suspicions of what might be causing her symptoms. It was too soon to visit the doctor, and she was not about to tell Matt what she had been thinking. He worried enough about her and he had far too much on his shoulders at the moment.

Just then her husband breezed into the room. While he was fairly skilled at hiding his true feelings with others, she knew him well enough to see he was flustered. "Sorry for being late. Work delay." Without waiting for replies from the group, he told the group to pair up. While Matt had done his best to keep them apart since he had inadvertently injured Sarah's shoulder, Wong had divided the group into pairs and had partnered her with Greg Costas. But instead of working on upper body moves, today they would be practicing their kicks.

Matt was moving about the room, observing the agents as they practiced the moves, when he realized his mistake. Surely he had been distracted when he had not noticed that Wong had paired Sarah with Greg. He watched with a knot in his stomach as Greg feinted a response to Sarah's kick. Breathing a sigh of relief, Matt saw that Greg was careful to control his moves so he would not actually strike Sarah.

Now Matt drew Sarah out of the group so he could demonstrate a response move. The group had learned it the week previously, so it was merely a matter of refreshing their memories. Matt attempted to attack Sarah, and she responded with the prescribed kick. He caught her foot and began to twist her leg, but using the technique Matt had taught them, she managed to slip from his grip and knock him off balance with a kick from the other foot.

"Well done!" Matt took Sarah's offered hand and stood. "Now you can practice with your partners."

Sarah felt a wave of dizziness as she made her way over to where Greg waited.

"You okay, Granger? I don't mind taking a pass if you need a break."

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment and the dizziness passed. "I'm okay." However, while Matt had not resisted Sarah very much, Greg was putting up a fight. She managed to land Greg on the mat, but Sarah knew she could not do it again without taking a rest. She was not feeling well. Better to get out of the room so no one would start wondering what was wrong with her. "Excuse me for a minute, okay?"

Matt watched as Sarah made her way unsteadily to the exit. Jogging over, he followed her out the door. "Sarah." He kept his voice down. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay in a minute. I think I just need to go to the restroom."

"Are you ill? Maybe I should get one of the female agents. I noticed you've become friends with Cherise and Lucy…"

"No thanks. I'll be okay."

Matt watched as Sarah continued on to the bathroom, but when she stopped and swayed unsteadily, he caught up with her again. "I'll walk you in there. No one else is down here except your class. Wong can handle keeping an eye on things."

Sarah was feeling too woozy to object. She was not very nauseous, but everything felt off and she was determined not to faint.

They went straight to the sink, where Matt kept an arm around Sarah's waist to steady her as she held a damp towel to the back of her neck. After a few minutes, the dizziness began to pass.

"You know, Sarah, maybe I should cancel our plans for this weekend. We can take it easy at our apartment. You probably need to rest and get over this."

"Oh no! It was a miracle that you could get a table at Mezza Luna. This was supposed to be a late Valentine's celebration. I'll be fine. Besides, who knows when Richard will let us have a weekend off again."

Eyeing her skeptically, Matt was about to say something, but Sarah cut him off. "Matt, we need to get back to class before people start making remarks."

Although he would have liked to see more color come back into Sarah's cheeks, he knew she was right. He stayed close by her side as they went back to the training center.

A few of the agents eyed them curiously, but Greg had been waiting by the door. "You okay, Granger?"

"She's fine. Thanks, Costas." He turned to Sarah. "I'll work with Greg. You take a seat on the bench."

"What's going on with Sarah, Matt?" Richard Wong appeared at Matt's shoulder.

"She's been fighting a bug and felt a little faint. She'll be okay."

"Well, we've had a busy day. Paintball, now this."

Frowning, Matt glanced around the room. "Kind of pushing everyone hard, aren't you?"

"Not hard enough, I think. Trying to get them in shape for the competition against NSA."

Matt pulled Wong aside. "Listen, Richard. I've had a lot of similar experience at Fort Knox. You win by skill and strategy. Endurance is not as critical. Your team is exhausted. I'd be happy to help you all with strategy. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll have more time in my schedule."

Wong eyed him critically. "Why do you think you're such an expert?"

"I don't claim to be, but I've been in the field and I did some training at Fort Knox and in Belgium. Check out my file if you don't believe me. I'd be happy to go with you to the competition against NSA."

As Matt moved off to work with Greg, Richard eyed him speculatively.

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The incident with Sarah nagged at Matt the rest of the afternoon. Growing up with a nurse for a mother, he had learned a few things about illness. People who were catching a cold might lose their appetites, but they did not get sick to their stomachs or nearly faint. Wondering if it was the flu, Matt determined to do a little research as soon as he had a spare moment.

While waiting for the Thursday evening class to start, Matt pulled out his phone and ran a search on nausea and dizziness. When he scanned through the search results, Matt almost felt faint himself. _"Women often experience nausea and dizziness early in pregnancy…"_ Surely Sarah was not pregnant. She had been taking her pills. They were supposed to be the most reliable method of birth control. He searched his mind, grasping for any kind of recollection of Sarah taking her pills during the last few weeks. She took them in the morning—she had said it was easier to remember then because Matt often distracted her at bedtime. He almost laughed out loud at the irony. But there had been a few mornings when Sarah had rushed out the door. It would be understandable if she had started this month's round a day or two late, or if she had forgotten to take a pill on more than one day. _But shouldn't her period have started by now?_ A quick calculation in his head told him she was late. At least as far as he knew.

A thrill passed through him as he considered that they had possibly created a new life together with some help from above. But the feeling of elation was short lived. Matt could not decide if he was relieved Sarah might be experiencing the normal symptoms of pregnancy or distressed that his wife, who was far too overworked, was now pregnant on top of everything else. _How could I have been so irresponsible? It probably happened three weeks ago at the cabin. I should have asked Sarah if she had been taking her pills. I could have brought some condoms along. Oh God!_

At that last utterance, the escalating feeling of panic gave way to a sense of peace. Sarah, if she really was pregnant, was in God's hands. Just like she always was. Taking a deep breath, Matt put his phone away and glanced around the classroom. It appeared that all of the students were present and had taken their seats. It was time to focus on the task at hand. But he was going to stop by a pharmacy on the way home and pick up a pregnancy test kit for his wife.

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Grace Tanaka was just leaving the bullpen to look for Sarah when she stepped off the elevator. Struck by the haggard appearance of the younger agent, Grace watched her for a moment until Sarah drew near and greeted her first.

"Hey. Sorry I'm a little late. I won't bore you with an explanation."

"Forget it. I had plenty of desk work." Grace took Sarah by the arm. "Listen, they don't need us here for another hour or so. There are a bunch of agents in there now, working on reports, that sort of thing. They'll be gone by six. Let's go get some takeout."

Hesitating, Sarah ventured, "Well, I did bring a snack. We're only here until nine o'clock tonight. Besides, I don't feel up to eating."

"You're kidding, right? You won't be home until nine-thirty and you don't have any dinner with you?"

"Matt wanted me to take something, but I wasn't too interested in food when I left home this morning and it's such a hassle to pack two meals. I brought lunch. And now my stomach is off."

"I know just the place. You've been running around all day." At Sarah's expression, Grace pressed on. "Don't brush me off, Sarah. I already know what Wong has been putting you guys through. You of all people—an athlete—ought to know that you need something to eat."

"I'd hardly call myself an athlete."

Grace snorted. "Whatever. I've seen you run." She took Sarah's arm and guided her to the elevators. Soon they were out in the fresh air of Georgetown on a cold winter's evening and Sarah's stomach was already feeling a twinge of hunger instead of the queasiness that had been plaguing her lately.

The Japanese restaurant a few blocks away was unfamiliar to Sarah. "How long has this place been here?"

"It opened up not too long ago. I come here all the time." She leaned in to whisper, "My mom's cooking is better, but this is pretty good." She glanced at Sarah as they pulled open the doors. "Let me order for you this time."

As the food cooked, the two waited on chairs near the register. Grace eyed Sarah speculatively. "You know, my sisters felt just like you do when they got pregnant."

Her eyes wide, Sarah turned to Grace. She tried to whisper, but her voice was more of a hiss. "What are you implying?"

"No need to get testy. I'm not an expert, but you have all the symptoms, my friend. It's time you took care of yourself. You'll feel better after you eat what I've ordered for you."

"What do you mean, all the symptoms? I'm on the pill." Sarah knew her attempts to defend herself were futile. Grace was too astute an observer to have missed the obvious.

"Well, let's see. You've barfed two nights in a row."

Sarah groaned. "I didn't think you knew."

Grace's eyes twinkled as she turned to Sarah. "Thank you for getting out of the car, by the way." Grace held up a hand to tick off the list on her fingers. "You complain of having an off stomach when you've been running around—literally—all day. Most people would be starving. When your stomach isn't bothering you, you eat like a pig." Grace glanced quickly at Sarah. "Your words. And you look like crap, girlfriend."

Stunned at her bluntness, Sarah sat back in her seat. "It's only been a couple of days. It could be the stomach flu."

"Sorry—it's been several days. It isn't the stomach flu. I have two sisters who've had babies. You are acting just like they did the first few months." Grace brushed imaginary lint off of her lap. "Besides, if I'm wrong, and it is the stomach flu, you still need to eat something if you're past the throwing up stage. The food I ordered won't bother your stomach—it's good for settling it."

Her shoulders slumped, Sarah knew she needed to stop putting up a front. "Actually, I think you're right about being pregnant. I had a rude awakening the other day. I had five pills left for the last cycle when I was supposed to stop last week. And I've had the stomach flu before. I doesn't come and go like this has. I'm either wanting to be sick or to eat as much as Matt. I never get that hungry."

"Well, wait a couple of days and buy a test. You stopped taking your pills, right?"

"I took them for a few days this cycle, but when I figured I was probably pregnant, I stopped."

"Well, that's good. Talk to Matt tonight. Maybe you'll have a little celebration this weekend." Grace waggled her eyebrows.

Ignoring her partner's teasing expression, Sarah stared down at her hands. How was she going to tell Matt? They had the reservations for Mezza Luna. It was supposed to be a special weekend because she had both days off. But she did not have to ruin the mood. Squaring her shoulders, Sarah sat upright. Matt did not have to know right away. They could have their celebration, and then maybe get a test early next week. For now she should not burden Matt with anything else.


	12. Chapter 12

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Twelve

Just as he had planned, Matt purchased the kit on the way home, ignoring the interested expression of the young girl who ran the register at a corner drug store off his usual route. He paid cash, not wanting any electronic record of his purchase. It was doubtful Jamal had been able to hack his debit card, but Matt knew Phillip had the ability to do so.

However, Matt put aside any plans of bringing up his concerns with Sarah when she arrived home a half an hour after him. For once she was not dragging her feet, looking green around the gills. Instead, her eyes were shining as she greeted him with a kiss and a hug.

It felt good to hold her and have her embrace him enthusiastically in return. He rested his cheek against her hair. "You seem a lot better tonight."

Sarah felt Matt's voice rumble in his chest as she leaned against him. "I feel better. Grace took me to a Japanese restaurant for take-out. It was her treat. She picked out the food, saying it would settle my stomach."

He pulled back so he could see her face. "Oh? What did you eat? I'm writing this down."

Sarah smiled at his light humor. "Some kind of chicken with ginger in a light sauce, rice, a brothy soup. I only took a little bit at first, but when I didn't get sick to my stomach, I kept eating—you'd be proud of me. I finished everything."

"No kidding." Now Matt could not help but smile.

"I was still hungry afterwards, so I ate the snack I brought along, too."

Matt chuckled in response and led Sarah upstairs, but they never made it to the walk-in closet. He was not sure who had started things, but a half an hour later they were lying on their bed, clothes trailing out into the hallway. With one arm around Sarah, he ran a finger over her bare shoulder. "You are feeling better."

Laughing shyly, Sarah snuggled closer. "You weren't the only one missing this. I just haven't had the energy until this evening. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's just part of life. But tonight was really nice."

Neither of them spoke for several moments. Matt idly stroked her hair and Sarah ran her hand over his chest, lightly tracing his scars. When she had first done that on their honeymoon, he had flinched, afraid that the memories of the knife fight in the park months before would ruin the mood of their lovemaking. But Sarah had placed a flattened palm on his chest and looked into his eyes, asserting, _"They remind me not to take us for granted."_

"_They look kind of gruesome," he muttered._

"_Not to me. You have an amazing body. Besides, they're fading." _

Sarah's gesture had grown into a habit, and Matt had come to enjoy it when she touched him that way. Now it was making him sleepy. Finally, she stirred and pushed away. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Matt did not move at first. He knew he should follow Sarah into the bathroom, but he was content just to lie there.

"Matt, what's this?"

Instantly realizing that he had forgotten about the pregnancy test, Matt sat bolt upright in bed.

Now dressed in her pajamas, Sarah walked out of the bathroom, the pharmacy bag in hand. It was obvious from her expression she had peeked inside the bag. Matt was not sure if she was amused or irritated and trying to hide it.

"Uh, I did an internet search on the causes of dizziness and nausea, and you'll never guess what the majority of the results said."

"Early signs of pregnancy?" Now Sarah looked troubled and hurt—and something else. "You think I'm pregnant? Isn't the woman supposed to think that first?" Turning her back to him, she returned to the bathroom.

Making the effort to sound as apologetic as possible, Matt called after her, "I was worried about you—really worried." He climbed out of bed and went to the closet for his own pajamas.

Standing in the bathroom, Sarah stared at the test in her hand. _He knows. I haven't been able to hide it from him, either. And he says he's worried. If only I had been more diligent with those pills. Having a baby with Matt would be really wonderful—in two or three years. This was not how it was supposed to happen._

Coming from the closet, Matt found Sarah. Seeing her expression, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I shouldn't have gotten the test without talking to you first. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"I'm not offended. I just feel ashamed." She gestured to the packet of pills. "I should have taken the last one about a week ago. I missed five days of pills, and I can't even tell you when I missed them. I've been really irresponsible. And now you and a little person are having to pay the price along with me."

"We don't know for sure that you're pregnant and I don't see myself as having to pay some kind of price."

Sarah quickly read the outside of the box. _No point in waiting until Monday now._ "I could use this test right now and find out. It's pretty accurate at this point and maybe we could stop worrying."

"Well, we would know for sure..."

Regarding her husband for a moment, Sarah could see he was hoping she would use the test. After all, he had been the one to purchase it. "Just give me a little bit."

The next five or ten minutes seem to stretch on like eternity as Matt attempted to pass the time by picking up the room and brushing his teeth. After readying her clothes for the next day, Sarah took out her own toothbrush and toothpaste. She refused to watch the test stick while they waited. After a few minutes, Matt came back into the bathroom.

"Sarah, look."

Sarah peered around Matt's shoulder and examined the test results. There was no doubt. She was pregnant.

Turning to watch her face anxiously, Matt waited for her reaction. He had dreamed of the day when they would have this moment, but in his dreams he had expected it to be two or three years later than this evening. Still, inside, he was bursting with excitement. He had always wanted to have children, and now he would have them with Sarah, the love of his life. Yes, he had his reservations and concerns, but what was done was done. A tiny life—their child—was growing inside his wife's womb. The thought gave him goose bumps.

Instead of jumping up and down, as Matt had envisioned her at this moment in their marriage, Sarah stood as if in shock. She turned slowly to him and her face crumpled. "I'm so sorry, Matt. What are we going to do?"

Matt's gut clenched. "Don't you want to have our baby?" His voice was soft, hesitant.

Seeing his reaction, Sarah backpedaled. "Of course! You know I want to have children with you. You'll be a wonderful father…" Her voice drifted off.

Taking her hands, Matt's words were gentle. "But you're worried about the timing. To be honest, I'm worried about you having to carry a baby right now. But we can pray. God is watching over you, and I'll do everything in my power to make it as easy for you as I can."

Sarah placed a hand on Matt's cheek, her own cheeks now wet with tears. "I know you will. And I love you for it. You are such a good man. I just wish I had been more responsible."

"You weren't thinking of doing something…" Matt could not form the words. They had talked about this before he had even proposed. _Surely Sarah would never…_

Sudden realization came over her and she rushed to reassure him. "Oh! You know I never would think of… No! This baby—our baby—is precious to me. I just don't know how I'm going to keep up my crazy schedule. I'm not an expert on pregnancy, but I'm already showing symptoms. What if I get sick at work? What if I faint or something? I don't want to hurt the baby by overdoing it."

"We'll make a doctor's appointment and find out what you can do to avoid that. And for the record, I need to apologize to you. I haven't been going on lack of sleep like you. You had to carry the responsibility of birth control alone. I should have helped you remember."

"Oh, come on now. You aren't a nag. You probably thought I could handle taking one little pill every morning. I'm a big girl. Besides, you already help me so much by making lunches, cleaning, getting groceries. I hate that I'm not doing my share."

"Let's not go there. I knew what I was getting into when we planned to get married before your training. I'm happy to help you out—I can do more for you as your husband than as your boyfriend." He kissed her on the lips and held her closely. "Besides, the perks of being married to you far outweigh having to do a few extra chores."

_Except those perks end up creating babies at less-than-convenient times._ She almost gave voice to her thoughts, but decided to remain silent. _After all, why bring Matt down with her sarcasm when the timing was her doing?_ He was so excited, despite the pregnancy not being planned. She just hoped the baby would be okay. She had taken several birth control pills after they had conceived. And then there was all of her physical activity—her schedule was quite strenuous at times. A frightful thought occurred to her. Sarah tried to pull away, but Matt kept her in place as she blurted out. "Oh, you don't suppose it hurts the baby when we—you know—do you?"

"No. I already researched that." Chuckling to himself, he supposed it was a good thing that Sarah had not been considering that possibility a little while earlier.

It was Sarah's turn to laugh, albeit self-consciously. "Trust you to figure that out right away. You and your internet searches."

"Hey, I find out some very helpful information that way." He stepped away, but still held her hands. "Let's pray—we'll pray for you and the baby, okay?"

"I wish I'd thought of that before panicking earlier." She searched Matt's face. "I know it's hard with my job, but I'll do my best to take care of myself and this little one."

In the joy of the moment, Matt had forgotten briefly about the danger that hung over his wife's head. Now the threat of Jamal taking his wife hostage was a threat to their child, too. He looked down, not wanting Sarah to see that the wave of sickening worry that washed over him just then. She was in God's hands, and he needed to remember that—now, more than ever. It was not hard to pray earnestly for his wife and the tiny life inside of her.

A few minutes later they were settled under the covers, Sarah tucked up against Matt so her back was to his chest. His arm draped around her, with his hand settled on her hip. He was warm, and Sarah was already becoming drowsy.

"You're going to be a mama, beloved."

Sarah marveled at the emotion in Matt's voice. How many men would have taken a surprise pregnancy so well—not only loving her for it, but also being the one to buy the pregnancy test in the first place? She picked up his hand and kissed it. "And you're going to be a daddy, my love."

After she released his hand, he placed it gently on her lower abdomen and held it there for a moment. He sighed and said sleepily, "I love you so much, Sarah."

"I love you too, Matt."

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Lee glanced up at Amanda as she entered the office. Noting his grim expression, she sat down quietly and tried to listen in on her husband's phone conversation.

"Let me put you on speaker, Phillip. Your mom will want to hear this." Lee placed the mobile phone on the desk and touched the screen. "Okay, go ahead."

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, Phillip. Is everything okay? What's going on?"

"We're all fine, but I'm worried about you two." 

Amanda narrowed her eyes as she glanced at Lee. "Why?"

"We had a ping that someone was doing background on you both. We attempted to hack into their system to see who it was, but we didn't get far. It looked like they had I. you with facial recognition software."

"How much did they learn?" Amanda was still watching her husband. Obviously he and Phillip had already discussed this information.

"They know you worked for IFF. They seemed to have spotted you at Advanced Systems Technologies. But they don't know you were Agency—at least as far as we can tell—and they don't know about your consulting work. At least you've got that great firewall there."

"Any idea who 'they' are, Phillip?" Lee ran a hand through his hair.

"Someone with some very high-powered hacking ability."

"As in a fellow spook?" Lee leaned forward, his brow furrowed.

"Honestly, all the spooks who have that capability would know who you are. This was someone else."

"Terrorist?" Amanda stared at her husband. "Could it be Jamal?"

"That's what I'm wondering."

Lee swore under his breath. "Hell. We could have blown Matt's cover."

"Don't borrow trouble, Lee. I'll send a report to Francine. She's already gotten a verbal heads up from me. Expect her to call you."

"Lee, we can't have Agency people tailing us around, babysitting us. It will tip off Jamal for certain."

"I'll call Francine myself. Thanks for the heads up, Phillip."

"Well, it was partly my job, partly my duty as your son."

Lee smirked. "I know you're required to tell us, but thanks anyway. You would have called us no matter what."

"Yup." Phillip laughed a little. "Talk with you both later."

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Although she might have felt better the night before, Sarah was not feeling well now. The toast and tea that Matt had brought her early that morning were not sitting well in her stomach. There had been no thought of drinking her usual protein shake.

Cracking open her window to let in some fresh air, Sarah breathed deeply. The cool air helped and realizing she had been slouching, she squared her shoulders. She tried to enjoy the time to herself a little, relaxing in the comfortable leather seat of her Volvo and listening to the quiet music coming through the speakers. As much as she treasured her husband's company and appreciated Grace Tanaka's friendly conversation, it was rare for Sarah to ever have a moment alone anymore.

A horn blared nearby and a large semi-trailer truck cruised by her open window. Now the noxious diesel fumes filled her car. Closing the driver's side window and opening the passenger window all the way, Sarah hoped to clear the fumes from the car quickly as she turned up the fan. As a sedan passed on her right, she sensed that the driver was staring at her. Turning to look, her stomach clenched and a frisson of fear ran through her body. It was Jamal, leering at her.

_Don't let him know he's freaking you out._ Rolling up the window once again, Sarah focused on the road ahead of her, tracking Jamal in her peripheral vision. Her first impulse was to call Matt, but there was little he could do from the University of Virginia campus, where he was working furiously to find the files Jamal wanted so Jamie and his team could finish altering them and complete the uploads to the memory stick. The deadline was coming up next week and ironically, security regulations prevented Matt from working at the lab over the weekend.

No, she would not cause him to worry when he was on assignment. It was procedure to call the Agency anyway. She glanced over at Jamal to see if he was still close enough to observe her. He was, but since he was driving, he could not always keep his eyes on her. Finally he looked away, and she touched her Bluetooth. "Agency." The call connected, and a female voice came over the line.

"International Federal Film."

Jamal was watching her again. He had pulled in front of her and was staring into his rearview mirror. Was he picking up her phone signal? It was a satellite phone—as secure as any phone could be—but Jamal had a way of knowing things…

Sarah followed the procedure she had learned in her training. "Hi, Marcie. It's Sarah Granger. Could you please tell everyone I'll be late to the meeting? Also, about my project—I realize that Mrs. B wants my research soon, but that customer has been pestering me personally."

"Shall I let her know you called, then? She'll probably want to talk to the customer herself and help work things out."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "Marcie" was well-trained. While Sarah's phone was secure, they had not been taking any chances and had to talk in code. However, by now the bullpen probably had her car's GPS showing up on a display screen and a member of Phillip's team would be scanning traffic cameras in the area. As usual, Sarah was wearing her tracking device, attached to the back of the button in her blouse's collar. However, someone from the Agency would need to be within a one-mile radius of her or the device would not be of any use.

No doubt Francine would be finding a way to get her some kind of back up, despite the traffic. Sarah needed to give "Marcie" some kind of status. "Traffic is heavy, so it will be another twenty minutes before I make it there. It would be really helpful if you could pass her the message."

"Very well then. I'm sure you'll see that others will be late to the meeting as well."

"Thanks, Marcie. I'll call you when I get closer."

As Jamal stared at Sarah in his rearview mirror, she stared back with a curious expression on her face. In an effort to play dumb, she was hoping he would think she was wondering where she had seen him before.

He changed lanes once again and slowed his car. Although she tried to hang back, her car eventually drew up alongside his. He grinned at her once again, and Sarah faked a surprised expression of first recognition, then concern, then fear as she glanced back and forth between the road and the car next to her. Jamal's smile was lascivious now as he winked and laughed.

Her Bluetooth beeped in her ear. She touched the button. "This is Sarah."

Unnerved now by Jamal's boldness, Sarah was more than relieved to hear Francine's familiar voice. "Hi, Sarah. I just wanted you to know that we postponed the meeting a half an hour, so don't worry about being late. We've heard from several others who are stuck in the same traffic snarl as you are. We should see you soon."

If Sarah had interpreted correctly, Francine had sent several people to intercept her and Jamal—or at least track Sarah's signal. This was not necessarily a rescue attempt but an effort to be able to track the signal from her collar if she was abducted from her vehicle. After all, if they were going to find Jamal's headquarters, they wanted Sarah to be taken there.

While Francine had been speaking, Sarah had watched Jamal. He was paying attention to traffic, but now he was glancing over at her again, his expression still menacing. Soon they all would be forced to exit. The man was alone. Somehow she knew instinctively that this was all an act to frighten her. If he was really intent on taking her, he would not bother with the leering expressions and he would have others with him. This was not going to be the day.

"That's great, Francine, thanks. I'll probably see you in fifteen."

"Do I need to call the customer for you?"

"That might not be necessary, thanks." Just then Jamal's car veered into the exit lane and just as suddenly as he had appeared several minutes earlier, he was gone, the distance between their cars growing by the second. "In fact, I think he's not available this morning."

Francine was silent for a moment, obviously processing the information that Jamal had backed off. "Okay. See you soon."

Sarah sighed audibly. _So much for a relaxing drive alone into work._

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Sarah could not avoid a debriefing with Francine, Phillip, Jamie, and a few other team members once she arrived safely at the Agency. When the meeting was over, Francine called Richard Wong to explain Sarah's tardiness to her class. Before Sarah could leave, however, Jamie pulled her aside.

"That was a close call, Sarah. Have you told Matt?"

"No. I'll tell him later. He's trying to finish up at UVa in the lab."

"I know. While you two celebrate a weekend alone, I'll be here creating false files to fool Jamal and his men."

Sarah smiled uncomfortably. Although she was close to her brother, it still felt awkward to talk with him about things like weekends away with her husband. Not only that, she felt guilty that Jamie would be working all weekend. "Sorry."

"Sorry I'm working all weekend? Don't be. That's why they pay me the big bucks. I'm trying to recruit an assistant so I won't have to work quite so many hours. But it's taking forever."

"I know you mean me. It's not my fault it's taking forever. And you do have other assistants."

"No one with your educational background. You can work more independently. I just want you to know that I'm doing my best to get you out of the field."

"Thanks. At this point I just hope I can work in D.C." Sarah grew serious and turned towards the door. "Listen, Jamie, I'd better run. You know Richard Wong."

"Don't let that guy jerk your chain. You have an excuse for being late."

On the way to class, Sarah reached into her purse and pulled out a granola bar, nibbling half of it before she got to class. She was still a little nauseous, but holding her own. What she did not need was to have to run out of class in front of everyone. Especially after arriving late.

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Sarah was grateful Richard had not singled her out. They had been practicing their interrogation techniques, so she slipped in unnoticed by most of the class. The crowd was noticeably smaller; Albert, White, and Blakeley must have dropped out of the program. Richard Wong sidled up to Sarah, drawing her away from the others.

"Late again, Granger? I suppose you were having a meeting for that 'other case' no one will talk about."

"I was forced to, Richard. It was not planned. I apologize."

"Listen, Granger, you might have called me. I can't keep letting things slide. Just because your parents were big wigs here doesn't give you the freedom to take advantage of your boss."

Sarah glanced around, alarmed. Several pairs of ears were apparently alert to their conversation, as most of the talking in the room had stopped.

Catherine chuckled. "Maybe we should interrogate Sarah. Find out what our instructor means by 'big wigs.' I had the impression they were just normal people."

Grant cast an agonized glance her way, and Greg Costas's eyes widened. He was the first to speak. "You the ringer, Granger?"

Flustered now by his slip, Richard backpedaled. As much as he seemed to dislike Sarah, she knew that he did not want to anger Francine or her parents by revealing her connections. Now it seemed too late to avoid that. "Sarah is not the ringer, Costas."

Feeling faint now, Sarah sat down in the nearest seat. Wishing the earth would open up and swallow her whole was not helping matters. She needed to confront the situation head on. But she did not have the energy to do it standing up. "A few of you have met my parents. Lee and Amanda Stetson. They used to work for the Agency."

"I thought your dad looked familiar." Catherine leaned forward in her seat. Sarah could not tell if she was intrigued or looking for trouble.

"I can see why you didn't tell us. Trying to stay out of their shadow?" When Sarah nodded, Greg continued. "But it also explains why you've passed everything with flying colors."

"Sarah is getting no favors—she's on a level playing field with everyone."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Geez, Wong, we figured that out—the no favors part. You're harder on her than anyone else."

"Watch it, Scott." Richard glared at her. "You all need to get back to the exercise."

Slowly the class turned back to their exercise. After a few moments, Catherine eyed Sarah speculatively and muttered to Greg, "But we still don't know why she's late so often. I don't think it's her alarm clock. I've seen her walking in early when I was parking my car—but then she disappears. She and that senior agent—Tanaka—are thick as thieves, too. I think she is the ringer." She grinned mischievously at Sarah, but Sarah was not in the mood to find the humor in her teasing.

"That's enough, Scott. I told you to get back to the exercise and now you're letting your tongue wag too much."

Grant got up from his seat and came to sit by Sarah, who had been silent through all of the comments. The dizziness had passed, but the stress of the morning had left her feeling drained.

"Cheer up, Granger. I'll work on the interrogations with you. I'm sure your parents practiced on you enough that you can do this in your sleep."

Forcing herself to be cheerful, Sarah attempted to go along with his banter. "Trust me, I never got away with anything." Certainly Richard Wong had made certain of that, now that he had revealed her background to the class.

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After an interminable day, Sarah was grateful to be pulling into her garage. For once she had reached the townhouse before Matt. If she moved quickly, she could get a shower before he came home. His text showed that it would be a half an hour before he arrived and they did not have to leave for Mezza Luna for another hour.

Allowing the water to run over her body, Sarah began to relax. Her stomach was not bothering her—she had placed an order online at the Japanese restaurant and dashed over during their lunch break to retrieve her meal. It had stayed down well as they had run through their maneuvers at the paintball field, but Sarah had felt hot and sweaty in the unseasonably warm weather.

She looked down at her stomach. It was still flat, but when she placed her hand over the area below her belly button, it felt firmer than usual. That app she had loaded on her phone said she might start showing a little in the next several weeks. At some point she would have to tell the Agency. They would limit her time in the field—perhaps she would be pulled from the Jamal case, possibly ruining any chances of catching the man.

A cold feeling of fear gripped her middle at the thought of what she must do, knowing now that it would be sometime soon. Jamal was probably going to take her hostage. Surprisingly, it was not really her safety that concerned her. What if something happened and the baby was endangered? As inconvenient as this pregnancy was, the little one inside of her was still their baby—Matt's and hers. A feeling of protectiveness washed over her. _Oh Lord, please watch over this baby._

Although she wanted to stay under the water longer, Sarah turned off the shower. As she opened the glass door and reached for the towel, she heard a noise and out of the corner of her eye saw a figure just outside the bathroom doorway. She stifled a scream as she frantically tried to cover herself with the towel. The figure moved and it was her husband, who wasted no time coming to her side. When Sarah realized it was Matt, she felt foolish, but she could not stop trembling.

"Sarah! Oh honey. I didn't mean to scare you like that." Matt's arms were around her now, towel and all. 

After taking a few deep breaths, Sarah felt recovered enough to respond. "That was silly of me." She pulled free of his arms. "Although you were kind of creeping on me there, Mr. Granger," she admonished him half-seriously.

"It's not often I get to see my beautiful wife looking so relaxed. At least not often enough." At her expression, he continued a little sheepishly, "Okay, I was also enjoying the view. But I had only been there a few seconds."

"Well, if you behave yourself, maybe you'll get to see the same view again later." She grinned as Matt expressed his surprise at her bold remark. "Right now I want to get ready for our hot date."

They were both dressing in the closet a little while later when Sarah caught Matt eyeing her once again. Self-conscious now, she asked, "What is it?"

"I was just wondering what had made you so jumpy earlier. You were really frightened. Was it all the stress from this morning?"

"Oh, I guess I'm over Richard's mess up. He's probably caught some flak from Francine already." Sarah turned her back in a wordless request for Matt to zip up her dress. "But I had been thinking about Jamal and I guess I overreacted—I didn't realize it was you at first."

Matt grasped her shoulders and turned her around once again. "I wish there was another way to catch him. I keep praying that he'll take me instead." His expression was grim.

Shuddering, Sarah shook her head. "That's even more unbearable to think about. At least he's not likely to hurt me."

"He almost did take you this morning."

Seeing the pain in his eyes, she reached up to place her palm on his cheek. "But he didn't, and we're letting him put a damper on our evening. Let me just finish dressing and we can go enjoy our dinner. No more thoughts of work, okay?"

"Okay. Let's talk about the music you want to dance to when we get home. It's been a while since we sashayed around the living room. You feeling up for it?"

"I am. But right now I'm starved. Let's talk about the music in the car."

"Sounds like a great idea." He chuckled. "I'm glad to hear you're starved, too." After kissing her on the forehead, Matt reached for his suit jacket and slid his arms into the sleeves while Sarah stepped into her heels. Each silently resolved to force thoughts of Jamal from their minds for the rest of the weekend.


	13. Chapter 13

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Thirteen

"You know, Stetson, we're taking a big risk, showing up unannounced."

His eyes on the traffic, Lee scowled at the road, hoping his wife would not notice his sour expression. "I know what you're getting at, and you know I don't like talking about that."

"They're married, Lee. Newly married."

"Yes, and they also go for a run every Saturday morning, rain or shine."

"Not if there's ice."

"You know there's no ice. It's warm out there. I'm sure they went running." Stopping the car at a red light, Lee turned to Amanda. "You made the muffins. Why are you so worried about catching them 'at a bad time'?" Lee raised his hands and made quotation marks in the air with his fingers to emphasize his point.

"I don't know… I guess I'm nervous about telling Matt we may have messed things up." Amanda fidgeted nervously. "Are you sure we aren't making things worse by showing up at their door?"

"We're wearing disguises." Lee gestured to the baseball cap and fake whiskers he wore before playfully pulling lightly on his wife's wig.

"I feel ridiculous showing up to their place like this. What if someone recognizes us anyway?"

"Francine said we had no need to worry about Jamal figuring out who we are—we were borrowing trouble. I agree with her."

"I think you both are a bit naïve about technology and what this Jamal can find out. If he links Sarah to us, he could pull something drastic. He could make an example of Matt."

"They both are wearing trackers. They wore them when they went running this morning."

Rolling her eyes, Amanda huffed out her breath. "You might have told me sooner, Stetson. No wonder you weren't worried we'd catch them at a bad time. You just didn't want me to know you'd been spying on them."

Feigning innocence, Lee glanced at her before continuing down the road. "I wasn't spying. Our son was. Phillip told me they were out in their greenbelt when we left the house. We should get to their place just before they do."

Frowning, Amanda sighed in exasperation. "That's why you hustled me out of the house. Sheesh. You're awful."

"I miss my daughter, and this way we know they'll be home." Lee picked up Amanda's hand. "It'll be nice. We don't get to see them enough." He chuckled. "Phillip's the one who suggested the disguises. Helps throw off the facial recognition software."

As Lee predicted, he was parking across from Sarah and Matt's front door just as they walked up to their driveway. Recognizing the BMW, the younger couple changed course and headed for Lee's sedan.

"Daddy! What a surprise. Is Mom with you?" Sarah stepped up to Lee's side of the car as he got out. Seeing his facial hair and the hat, she did a double take before stifling a laugh. "I guess you're being careful about being recognized for some reason?"

"I'm right here." Amanda stepped from the car before either of the men could open her door for her. Her purse was already on her shoulder, the muffin container in her hand. "We brought a little extra baking for your breakfast."

"And some interesting, ah, fashions." Sarah did not dare look over at her husband. He was much better at keeping a straight face than she was, but she did not want to take any chances. It was all she could do not to laugh at her mother's blonde wig and large sunglasses.

As expected, Matt had not reacted to his in-laws' eccentric appearance. "I was just going to make us something. Have you eaten?" Having already fished the key out of his pocket, Matt took the container from Amanda and led the way to the entrance of the townhouse.

"Maybe you can twist Lee's arm. All he's had is coffee this morning." Amanda briefly linked arms with Sarah after they followed Matt in the door.

"I was waiting for my muffin." Bringing up the rear of the little procession, Lee was pretending to be defensive. He took pride in eschewing breakfast except for the occasional homemade muffin. Coffee was all he wanted in the morning.

Sarah waited until her father had closed the door before turning on her parents. "All right, tell me why you two look like a couple of celebrities dodging their fans."

Lee peeled off his moustache and removed the baseball cap as Amanda tugged at her wig. "We'll explain over breakfast. Thankfully it was all unnecessary. No one followed us here."

Matt laughed mirthlessly. "Yeah. For some unknown reason, Jamal has not managed to find our place, as far as we know. Kind of amazing, when you think of the places he has managed to find us."

As they reached the top of the stairs, Amanda could not help but notice as Sarah hung back, keeping her distance from the kitchen. Matt was being more than hospitable, however.

"Why don't the three of you take a seat in the living room while I make breakfast?" He watched while Lee and Amanda sat on the couch together, and then he stepped over to Sarah and handed her something.

"I'll be right there, Mom and Daddy." Sarah disappeared into the small bathroom.

"Can I get you some tea, Amanda? I'm making some for Sarah."

As Amanda thanked Matt for the offer, Lee stood back up and went into the kitchen to make small talk with him.

A minute or two later Sarah reappeared and took a seat in one of the leather chairs opposite the couch. She was cheerful, but it seemed a little forced to Amanda. "What brings you two over this morning?"

"We thought it was time to pay you another visit. It's been a couple of weeks." She paused, remembering something. "Oh—thank you for the lovely flowers. She turned towards the kitchen. "I noticed the card was written in your handwriting, Matt. That was very sweet of you to send a personal note on our anniversary."

"It was from Sarah, too. I just happened to be the one closest to the florist that day. We didn't want to miss your big anniversary. Twenty-five years."

"Oh, I'm sure you both were sending your wishes—"

"—but you sure know how to make points with the in-laws, Granger." Lee gave Matt a little clap on the back as the younger man beat the eggs with a whisk.

When Lee brought the cups of tea out to Amanda and Sarah, Amanda could not help but notice the wan expression on her daughter's face. She had been fine when they had first arrived, but now she seemed almost ill. Amanda leaned forward and watched Sarah for a moment as she carefully sipped her tea. "I think I know why Matt is cooking breakfast and not you."

Sarah's eyes widened slightly, but she remained cool. "He wanted me to take it easy today. I'll probably cook dinner tonight."

"Come on, Sarah. You're fighting a bug or something, aren't you? You don't need to be brave. If you aren't feeling well, your father and I can leave."

"Oh, but you just got here. Matt is making your breakfast." Sarah knew her mother meant well. Idly she wondered if she would act like that with her kids. After all, her grandmother, Dotty, had turned into a combination interrogator and nurse every time one of her grandchildren became ill. _And she had come up with some crazy remedies to boot. _Now Sarah's mother seemed to be carrying on the West tradition.

"Our breakfast? What about your breakfast?"

"I'll eat a muffin. Matt gave me a smoothie earlier."

"What was that you took into the bathroom?"

Instead of answering her mother, Sarah looked up at Matt, who was now listening to their conversation as he set plates on the dining room table. They did not say anything to one another, but by their expressions, Amanda could see they had communicated something.

Lee brought a plate from the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

Matt cleared his throat and nodded to Sarah.

"Um, Mom? Daddy?"

Amanda did her best to contain her exasperation. Clearly they had something to say. She had thought she and Lee would be the ones breaking news this morning. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"What's all this?" Lee looked at Amanda quizzically.

"It was crackers. Coming into the house and out of the fresh air, I sometimes feel kind of queasy. I had to eat something to settle my stomach. I just didn't know how to tell you. I wasn't sure the timing was right."

Lee stared at his daughter like she had gone mad. Since when had she started rambling? Even Dotty's rambles had made more sense. "What are you talking about?"

"I took crackers into the bathroom. I was explaining why."

Laughing softly, Matt stepped over to Sarah and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't I just tell them? You're talking in circles, sweetie."

At Matt's touch, Sarah seemed to gain her courage. She cleared her throat. "I'm going to just say it." She rubbed one hand along her thigh and sat up straight. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Amanda and Lee spoke at the same time. Amanda's voice cracked with surprise and what Sarah hoped was excitement, while her father's voice was more of a bellow.

Shrinking back into the chair, Sarah groped frantically for a way to appease her parents. "I know it was dumb. The timing is really bad. But we both figure God has a plan and it will work out. I'm only about five weeks along. I haven't even been to the doctor yet."

"Why not? You need to see a doctor right away." His brows furrowed as he stared at his daughter. "God, I thought you two were going to wait. Don't you have enough on your plate, Sarah?" Lee was bellowing, but as soon as the words were out, he looked as if he wanted to take them back.

Unable to bury herself further in the chair, Sarah was grateful for Matt, who kept his hands on her shoulders, gripping them in reassurance. _Daddy is just in shock. He'll calm down._ But a knot formed in her stomach. His words stung.

"Lee! I know you're concerned about Sarah, but listen to yourself." Amanda's voice was firm.

Chagrined now, Lee's expression softened and his voice, still gravelly with emotion, was subdued. "You're really going to have a baby, Pumpkin? Are you going to be okay, with your work schedule? You really should go to the doctor."

"I made an appointment for her week after next." Matt's voice was firm, but the tension in it was obvious as he grew defensive. "Sarah had no time to even call the doctor yesterday, so I did it. We both know the timing isn't great, but I'm just as responsible for this little one as Sarah is, and I'm going to help her in any way I can."

"Matt's been wonderful." Sarah could not repress a sniffle.

"Of course you are, Matt. You're always so good to Sarah." Amanda stood and went to Matt so she could give him a hug before she leaned down and embraced her daughter. "The food is getting cold. Do you think you could you sit with us, Sarah?"

Once the group had gathered around the table, Lee felt he needed to rectify things. "I'm sorry I overreacted." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I am worried about you staying on the Jamal case, Sarah."

"We're so close, Daddy. I'll be careful. You know how important this case is. Besides, in all likelihood, Matt will give Jamal his files before he bothers me again."

"Hopefully so." Lee struggled to contain his emotions. Clearly had more to say about Jamal, but his next words went another direction. "Truth is, from the moment you two decided to get married, I've been kind of excited for the day you would have kids. I just figured it would be in a couple of years, when things had settled down." He gazed over at Amanda. "But sometimes the little ones come along sooner than later."

Looking back and forth between her parents, Sarah asked, "Wasn't I kind of unexpected?"

Swallowing a bite of her eggs, Amanda regarded Lee for a moment before turning to Sarah. "Well, yes, to be honest. But we were so grateful to have you."

"You've told me before I was a happy surprise. I guess that's what you meant. You got pregnant earlier than you planned?"

Amanda was diplomatic. "Well, we weren't getting any younger, so it was good we had you when we did. Everything is for a reason."

"Oh come on, Amanda. You're going to give the girl a complex. Just say it outright." He put his coffee mug down and turned to Sarah. "Truth is, I wanted us to have a child together, but I'd never had the nerve to talk to your mom about it. We didn't intend to become pregnant, but once we were it was the best thing that ever happened to us."

"Your father was over the moon, sweetheart." Amanda smiled at Lee and took his hand as he grinned back. "I was so happy that we were having a baby together, we stopped worrying about the timing and enjoyed planning for your arrival."

"I love your brothers, but there is nothing quite so amazing as watching your own flesh and blood come into the world." Lee picked up a piece of bacon. "You'll see, Pumpkin. This little one will be just as much of a blessing as you were." He took a bite of the bacon.

Touched by her father's heartfelt words, Sarah got up from her seat and went to wrap her arms around her father's neck. "I love you, Daddy." She looked over at her mother. "I love you both."

Surprised, Lee chuckled and patted her arm. "I love you, too, Pumpkin. Just be sure to go to the doctor. You need to take care of yourself. I know you're not feeling well, but you'll need to eat more than a few bites of muffin and a cup of tea."

"I love you, too, sweetheart." Amanda placed a hand on her daughter's back. "You know, it helped a lot when your father would bring me a little snack during the night. Then I could eat breakfast."

Taking her seat once again, Sarah grasped Matt's hand. "Actually, Matt got me some crackers and granola bars. I've started eating them at night and in the morning and it helps a lot."

"And that Japanese restaurant." Matt chimed in. "You've really perked up since you started eating there."

Sarah turned to her mother. "I think it's the ginger. The websites I've checked say to eat ginger. I also started taking prenatal vitamins. And I have an app on my phone that tells me what's happening with the baby. Matt got an app for expectant fathers."

Smiling at their enthusiasm, Amanda replied, "It sounds like you two are really on top of this." She sipped her tea and grew thoughtful. "So, you're five weeks along? That means you're due…" She looked up at the ceiling, calculating the timing in her head. "…late October, right?"

"Well, the doctor will tell us the due date for sure, I guess, but that's the date I figure on, too." Sarah picked up her tea mug and smiled at her mother. "Maybe you two can share a birthday."

Amanda grasped Sarah's hand. "Well that would be fun timing, but whatever day this little one arrives is fine with me. I'm excited for you both—and for me, too. Another grandbaby!"

"And I'm excited, too. Just think. My daughter is going to have a baby." Lee grinned. Glancing around the table, Lee could see that most of the food had been eaten. He and Amanda needed to leave so Matt and Sarah could do whatever else they had planned for the day. "I hate to change the subject, but we need to tell you why we came today. It's serious."

Forgetting the disguises her parents had worn, Sarah nervously speculated, "Is it about Richard Wong? That my class found out you're my parents?"

Amanda cast an alarmed look at her husband. Bristling, Lee prepared to bellow, but caught himself and spoke in measured, but angry tones. "What the hell did Wong do now? He wasn't supposed to say anything."

"He slipped. He was angry that I was late to class again. I'd had a meeting with the team."

Lee stared at her, reigning in his temper. It was obvious that Sarah was troubled enough about Wong. He did not need to add to her anguish. "Well, I'm glad you told us, but that's not what I was going to talk about." Lee sipped his now-cold coffee and set it aside. "Jamal seems to be on to us. Someone tried to hack into our files at the Agency. The firewall and all of the other security measures blocked them, but they probably know we are—were agents. They could make the connection to you."

Matt leaned forward, tense. "No offense, Lee, but are you absolutely certain you weren't followed over here?"

"Phillip texted us when we got here. No tails. I know he texts you, too. And you must know that Jamal could still find a way to track you to your home."

Sitting back in his seat once again, Matt glanced at Sarah and sighed. "Yes, I know. Thank God I'm only a couple of days away from giving him his files. I have a number to text when I'm ready to make the drop. The deadline is Tuesday, but Jamie is hoping to be ready on Monday."

Amanda tried to be pragmatic. "Well, we don't know for certain he identified us by name. If he did not, he won't connect us to you and Sarah."

All of this time, Sarah had been listening without comment. Now she spoke up, the strain in her voice obvious. "I think you know that it could be a problem for Matt. We did not know that Jamal might be close to finding out who Matt really is. If Jamal finds out that Matt is an operative, he might not let us know. We'd have no idea what he was planning. Once Matt has given him the files…"

Matt was out of his seat and kneeling by her chair in an instant. "Listen, Sarah. You can't start thinking the worst. We're almost to the end of this. If you start getting worked up, it won't help anything, and it could—"

"—hurt the baby." She allowed Matt to stroke her back and her hair as he held her, but instead of fear, her expression grew determined. She pulled away from Matt. "There's another way. We'll just have to take the upper hand. We'll tell Jamie that you need to give Jamal the files Sunday—Monday at the latest. He'll have one less day, maybe two, to figure things out."

"That's my girl." Standing, Lee cast an approving eye on his daughter. While Matt called Jamie, he helped Amanda clear the table, insisting that Sarah stay out of the kitchen.

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"Even if Jamie thinks he can get the files ready by early Monday, I'm still worried, Lee."

Lee patted his wife's hand. "I know, Amanda. I know. But what have you always said?"

"Worrying doesn't accomplish anything. We've done what we could." She sighed and stared out the window. Lee was taking a roundabout route back to their house on Maplewood. After making sure they had not been followed, they had shed their disguises a few miles from the Grangers' townhouse.

"You know, they really caught me off-guard with the baby thing. Geez. Just what they need on top of everything else."

Narrowing her eyes, Amanda turned to Lee. "You are excited about the baby, aren't you?"

Immediately he was defensive. "Of course I am. As excited as a grandfather can be when his daughter is overworked, overtired, and overstressed—and in danger. The baby can't help that, but I wish the timing was better."

Amanda cast an approving glance at her husband and turned back to the window. "I couldn't agree more about the timing. Once this case is over, I intend to put the screws to Richard Wong. He's stepped over the line too many times now."

"You got that right," Lee growled. "I can't believe he told the class about us."

Turning back to Lee and patting his arm, Amanda attempted to placate him. "You and I both know Sarah should have been honest up front. It's not fun being the boss' kid, but it beats people thinking you're holding out on them."

"But Amanda, you can't do anything about Richard Wong. This is Agency business. We aren't Agency anymore."

Amanda eyed her husband, taking in his remonstrative expression. She sighed. "I'm behaving like a Mama Tiger."

"You have good reason." Lee smiled gently at her.

"Well, I still might put a bug in Francine's ear. And we can still help Sarah by keeping a low profile. We'll have to keep out of the Agency as much as we can until the class ends."

"Going to the U.K. will help. It's just under a month until that happens. Until then we can work on the AST account and spend time with grandkids. And it's about time we spent a few days at the cabin ourselves." He glanced at Amanda long enough to waggle his eyebrows.

Rolling her eyes, Amanda chuckled. "Sounds like a plan, Scarecrow."

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When Monday morning arrived, Matt was forced to think again about Jamal and his upcoming drop. It was still very early, so the sun had not yet made its appearance. They both had an early meeting with the team. While they could not risk having agents in sight when Matt passed off the memory stick with the files, Phillip would be monitoring nearby and a team of several agents would be ready to offer back up if anything went wrong.

Matt knew that a bulletproof vest would not be enough to stop Jamal from killing him, if that was his plan. However, Jamal was not likely to be at the drop site, and Agency snipers could hopefully take care of any enemy gunmen.

Sarah stared at their clasped hands as Matt negotiated the Charger through the still light traffic near Georgetown. "It was really a lovely weekend, Matt."

Grateful for the diversion, he smiled over at her. "What was your favorite part?"

"Hmm." She thought for a moment. "Making dinner for you. It was so nice to do something for you for a change. And you can eat the leftovers this week. Maybe you won't mind me being gone so much if you don't have to cook." She watched as he picked up their hands and kissed her palm before resting them on his leg once again. "What was your favorite part?" At his goofy grin, Sarah jumped to amend her question. "Besides…"

"…your cooking?" He laughed. They both knew what his favorite part of the weekend was, but he decided to go along with her. "Seriously, it was great to spend some time relaxing together, no matter what we were doing." He paused and thought for a moment. "I had fun watching the movie with you." He glanced at her. "Dancing was really great."

She smiled. He had been particularly tender with her that weekend while they danced, as they cooked dinner Sunday night, and after they had gone for a run Saturday morning. His arms had often been around her, and more than once he had placed his hand on her still-flat abdomen, marveling out loud about the baby.

All too soon they were parking in the Agency garage and making their way to the meeting. Sarah's day was packed full. Leatherneck had set up the arena to allow for laser tag, and they were testing on procedures. In the afternoon, Richard Wong had scheduled the freshman agents to team up with veteran agents on minor tasks at the Agency or at various locations in and around the Capitol. Sarah was to accompany Grace on a routine security check of a few organizations located in an office building near the Mall.

It was an effort to stay calm for the baby's and Matt's sakes. Despite the expected nature of the drop, Matt would be exposed and this worried Sarah. She tried to pray, but she was tense and distracted. All too soon she was forced to leave the meeting and join her fellow recruits for their laser tag session. The physical activity would be a relief.

Following Sarah out of the conference room, Matt drew her into another conference room nearby. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he looked in her face. "You're putting on a brave face for me and everyone else, but I can see you're upset."

Sarah wanted to stare at her feet, but she met Matt's gaze. "I guess it shows, huh? Well, I'm trying not to be stressed out. At least I'll be so busy I won't have time to worry."

"I'll call you with updates, okay? Or at least I'll text you. Once I hear from Jamal, you'll know, okay?"

"Thanks, Matt." She leaned in and rested her head against his chest for a moment. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Matt was not telling Sarah that he was going to text her regularly just to ease his mind, too. He knew she would send a reply and that would be some measure of reassurance for him. He worried that Jamal might choose today to go after his wife, and he was doing his best not be let his fear get the better of him. He welcomed her embrace and rested his chin on her hair before releasing her. "You'd better get to class. You don't need another scene when you get there."

He followed her out of the conference room and watched her walk to the elevator. "I'll text you, okay?"

Sarah turned and gave him a little wave as the elevator doors opened. "Okay. See you tonight."

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The phone, which had been kept fully charged and waiting, finally beeped. A text had come through. Although the device had no GPS signal and could not be traced, Jamal would be glad when the time came to destroy it. Now it was finally serving its purpose. He waited while his man brought it to him.

"It looks like the files are ready, sir. Shall we schedule a drop? It's a day early." 

Rather than answer his assistant, Jamal steepled his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. He swiveled around to stare at the various monitors on the wall. The Georgetown street was innocuous enough, but he was certain that those two agents he had photographed had connections to the government agency that was housed somewhere along that block. Jamal's people had never been able to pinpoint which building. There were several suspicious businesses that seemed like obvious fronts. If only he still had access to the Russians. His former KGB connection was now FSB and too busy maintaining his own balance of power to hazard any connection to Jamal.

He stared at the photos of the two agents, still displayed on the screen. Gesturing to the female assistant nearby, he ordered, "Show me the photo of Sarah Granger on this monitor. See if you can line it up next to the female agent's photo." He watched as his assistant complied with his orders, staring at the two photos for a moment. He turned to his assistant again. "Where did you say you traced the car?"

"We were not able to trace the car's plates, sir. But we spotted it in Arlington. It was a lucky break. We tracked it with cameras to a residential neighborhood."

Jamal steepled his fingers once again. "And you found an old newspaper article about an Amanda King."

"Yes, sir." The female assistant pulled up the article. "It took several hours, but our facial recognition software has made a match with the photos you took. It's not completely reliable, but fairly close."

Thoughtful now, Jamal did not say anything for a moment. Finally he murmured, "I have heard of a Mrs. King—I was quite young and only heard rumors. She partnered with an agent that had a silly code name. What was it?" He drummed his fingers on the table. "Scarecrow." He sat brooding while his assistant's fingers flew over her keyboard. After several minutes, Lee's photo appeared on a monitor. "Lee Stetson. That's it. I am surprised they are still together. He was known for making his way into women's bedrooms."

The woman had been typing away on her computer again as Jamal mused. While he stared at the computer screens, she was busy with the mouse. "Sir! I have something here you'll want to know." Without waiting for her reply, she displayed the information on another monitor on the wall. "Sarah _Stetson _Granger, sir."

"Are you saying she is their daughter? She looks like her mother, but she has his name." Jamal could not hide his look of incredulity. "How could we have missed this? We have followed this man for months. Matthew Granger can't possibly be who he says he is." Cold fury showed on the arms dealer's face as he rose from the chair and walked over to the woman. "You are too new to blame for this." He turned to the man who now cowered as he proffered the cell phone, still in his hand, to Jamal.

"You have not yet read his text, sir."

Jamal reached for the phone, signaling for the men who stood by the doors to the computer room. The man's protests could be heard as he was dragged from the room, but soon after the doors were closed, silence reigned once again.

Staring at the message now, Jamal mused out loud. "Well, Mr. Granger. You will make your drop. We might even allow you to live. But you will pay a heavy price for trying to deceive me."


	14. Chapter 14

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Fourteen

The day had dragged. Jamal had been silent since the text was sent. Matt had wanted to send another, but Francine stopped him. 

"He's messing with you, Granger. He'll schedule something with you, but he wants you to sweat."

Matt had been sweating it out. He cursed the plan to allow Sarah and her tiny tracker to lead them to Jamal, wishing they had locked her away in a safe house instead. But he knew that was not going to solve the long term problem of Jamal and his dangerous business. This current project of his could lead to a nuclear attack somewhere on the globe, perhaps here in the United States.

Finally, sometime after two o'clock, the man replied. The drop-off was set for three o'clock. It was time to move.

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After reading Matt's text, Sarah said a silent prayer, let out a breath, and texted back a short reply. She rolled down her window for some fresh air before her stomach could start to bother her.

Watching her and keeping an eye on traffic at the same time, Grace Tanaka had been wondering what was placing her partner on edge. "Everything okay?"

"Can't give you details. It's that case I'm helping on. Matt's going on an op as we speak." Sarah knew that Grace had guessed who they were trying to catch, but she wisely did not press for information. Sarah was not cleared to talk about the details of the case with her.

Approaching a busy intersection, Grace cursed under her breath. "There was not supposed to be any road construction here today. I deliberately chose this route because it would be clear. The parking entrance is right on the other side of—"

"Hit it, Grace. Move!" Grace's words were cut off as Sarah screamed at her. Barreling towards them down a narrow alley was a large truck. It would not have time to stop before it hit their vehicle.

There was no time to react. While they were not directly in the truck's path, Grace would not be able to get the sedan completely out of the way in time. Almost immediately Sarah was jarred violently by a sickening impact as the sounds of crunching metal and shattering glass surrounded her.

Trapped on her side of the sedan, Grace assessed her injuries. Her vision blurred and she was nauseous, but her life had been spared when the truck hit the rear of the car and not the driver's door. Still, she was trapped, the door jammed shut and her seat twisted slightly so her seatbelt had stuck. The airbags had deflated, but they had left bruises, she was certain. She turned to her partner. "Sarah! Talk to me."

"I'm okay." Her words slurred slightly, but Sarah was unbuckling her seatbelt and attempting to help Grace. The force of the impact had jarred her so badly that it almost felt like the head injury from last fall. Her vision swam, but Sarah swallowed and gulped some air. Instinctively she knew this had been no accident, so adrenaline took over as she tried to unbuckle Grace's seatbelt. Her head began to clear, but the seatbelt would not budge.

The sound of men's voices startled both of them, and they looked outside the car. The driver of the truck and his passenger had gotten out of the vehicle, but they had been stopped by passersby and other drivers who had witnessed the accident. Sarah was grateful for the good Samaritans who were delaying the men. By the way the men were focusing on their sedan, it was obvious they worked for Jamal. Sarah knew they were trying to determine how to get to the two women, now that their car was blocked on four sides and no one else could move. Down the street, another group of men were headed towards their car. They were obviously not concerned bystanders, like the other men and women wearing worried expressions who were trying to get to her and Grace.

"Sarah, reach for my gun. Under your seat."

Sarah's head was still clearing. Their vehicle had been thrown several feet to its right, jamming them up against a parked car. While her door was damaged slightly, the window was rolled down. These were Jamal's men coming for them. They wanted her, not Grace, and she knew they might not hesitate to pull a weapon to take care of any witnesses. She had to get out of the car quickly, and she had no intention of leaving Grace unarmed. She moved the gun so it was within arm's reach of her partner.

"Stay here, Grace. Don't follow me." Sarah knew it was only a matter of time before Grace managed to get out of her seat. Sarah maneuvered her body up and through the window, ignoring Grace's frantic protests.

"Sarah, you stay here. I need to protect you. This was no accident. We have no back up." Grace searched frantically for the Bluetooth that had dislodged itself from her ear, crying out in frustration as she realized it was just beyond her reach.

"I'm sorry, Grace. I wish I could stay and call NEST for you."

"I'm not hurt. But we need backup." She reached again for the Bluetooth.

Seeing the small device on the floor of the passenger side, Sarah nudged it with her toe before she lifted herself from the car. Wedged between the two vehicles, she was grateful for her slim frame as she squeezed onto the hood of the neighboring vehicle and clambered over onto the sidewalk. The men's voices were louder now, and one of them shouted as they spotted her. Dodging concerned bystanders, she ran as fast as she could away from Grace and the Agency vehicle, hoping to draw the men away.

In the bullpen, Phillip was cursing out loud. "Francine!" he bellowed, not bothering to alert the section chief via speakerphone. He was too busy keeping track of the team with Matt. Now his assistant had placed Grace Tanaka on speaker phone. He directed his words to one of the team sitting near him. "See if you can get her GPS tracker to show up. I think she's too far away." He turned to another team member. "Pull up the car's GPS, too. Maybe we can use cameras until we can get someone closer to Sarah."

"I've pulled some of our people off the op with Matt. They're only a couple of miles away." Francine was at Phillip's elbow, directing a team of agents toward the scene of the crash in the hope that one of them would be able to get a signal on Sarah's tracker.

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Matt had just placed the memory stick, hidden in a bag of fast food, under a bush not far from the restaurant. The building near where he waited was vacant, but the parking lot still had access from the street. Perfect for backup, but it also left him vulnerable to Jamal's men if he wanted to abduct Matt with a van or other vehicle. He listened carefully for approaching vehicles, ready to jump a nearby fence if they tried to drive up and grab him. The street was empty of pedestrians, with only an occasional vehicle driving by.

The ping of a bullet striking the wall of the building above him startled him into action, and without rising from his crouch position, he threw himself around the corner. The move ended up resembling a somersault, and Matt fought to right himself, balancing like a cat before standing and flattening himself against the building. "Did you hear that?"

"They're just trying to keep us busy, Matt." Rene's voice came through the Bluetooth device in Matt's ear. The sound of squealing tires almost blocked Rene's words. "It's just one gunman. Jamal's people are going after Sarah. Go to the dumpster at the back of the building and I'll pick you up there. Move it, man."

His back against the wall, Matt sidestepped as quickly as he could to the back of the building and ran to the dumpster. Just as he arrived, Rene pulled up in his Agency vehicle and Matt half-jumped, half-dove into the car before it sped off, tires squealing.

"I've got Phillip on the headset. He's directing us to a spot two miles from here. Sarah's on the run, but the thugs are catching up to her."

"She's letting them catch her." Matt knew that under duress, his wife could outrun most men, not just women.

Rene was silent, only uttering an occasional word as the car careened around other vehicles while he attempted to close the distance between them and Sarah.

Matt adjusted his Bluetooth and on his phone, punched in the number for the bullpen. He wanted to hear the traffic about Sarah, now that he had left the site of his own op. Thankfully Chen had been in charge of the team at that site, and he would clean up the mess. Matt did not even know if more shots had been fired.

After exchanging code phrases, Matt was overhearing the frantic transmissions from Phillip and the team members tracking Sarah via camera.

"We've lost her. That last camera was not video, just still. She was too fast."

"Enriquez! You have a signal yet?"

Matt was staring at the screen of the monitor that was programmed to pick up Sarah's signal. He was grateful for insisting that their car have one—just in case. "Just in case" had happened and now the screen was silent. "No signal, King," he muttered.

"You should have one, if she's still on foot. Move it! You're less than a mile from her last location."

A quiet beep sounded from the monitor, and Matt breathed a prayer of thanks as a blip showed on the screen. "We've got a signal."

The map rotated as Rene maneuvered the car onto a side street. "Shortcut. We'll get there faster."

Matt glanced over at his partner, praying he was right and that they did not lose Sarah's signal right after locating it. He watched the blip. "It's moving faster now, but we're gaining on it. She has to be in a vehicle."

"Get a visual, but keep your distance. Remember, no heroics, Granger. You're to follow the vehicle." Francine's voice was stern.

"Yes, ma'am." He was tempted to jump from the car and dash madly after Sarah, but Matt knew he would endanger the operation and, more importantly in his mind, Sarah.

"That's it." Rene kept his eyes on the road ahead, but Matt was able to watch the blip from Sarah's tracker. "White van ahead of us. Has to be it. It's about the right distance and just changed lanes."

"We have backup three minutes behind you. If the subjects park or pull off the road, use caution. You do not want them to know you are following them."

"Got it." Matt watched the van as it veered onto a side street suddenly. The blip on the monitor had gone around the corner, too. "It's gotta be the van. It just turned at the same time as the blip."

They were now in a seedy part of Washington—the same neighborhood where Sarah had taken the photo of the safe house. Matt confirmed their location with Phillip, and then making sure his own tracking device was activated, he prepared to exit the car. He was already wearing dark colors, but now he pulled a black cap over his dark blond hair.

Soon the white van stopped in front of a two story house. Noting the address, Rene turned to Matt. "The safe house Sarah and Grace were watching is behind this house. Either someone was watching Jamal, or they were using it to guard the main house."

Turning at the intersection before the house, Rene parked the Agency vehicle out of sight of the two houses. Rene quickly donned a black cap and jacket for entering the building, but he was behind Matt by several paces.

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"Chen says there was just one man at the drop site—a sniper." Francine stared at Phillip, waiting for him to process the information.

"That means they focused their energy on grabbing Sarah." Jamie, who had arrived in the bullpen minutes after Sarah's abduction, joined in the conversation. "Didn't Tanaka say there were several men chasing her?"

"They had the truck and at least two other vehicles," Phillip responded. "They came from two directions."

"They know who she is." Francine placed her hand on her hip and stared thoughtfully at the monitors displaying the whereabouts of her agents. "He must have figured out who your parents are and made the connection. He's drawing Matt into a trap and using Sarah as bait."

"Call him back, Francine." Phillip rarely became frantic under pressure, but it was obvious he was fighting to hold it together.

"Good luck with that." She tapped the button connecting her to Matt's Bluetooth. "Eagle, this is Home Base. Your cover may be blown. They may be expecting you."

"I'll assume they are. I'm waiting just outside the building for the team to arrive."

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Her adrenaline beginning to ebb, Sarah felt the first tendrils of fear creep over her. She had run a few blocks, wanting Jamal's men to think that she was truly wanting to get away from them. But after a few minutes she had deliberately slowed, as if she had grown exhausted. Behaving as if she was terrified when they had finally laid hands on her had not been difficult. The passersby had been too afraid of Jamal's men to offer her any help, and a van had been following her, ready to drive away with her inside. The entire abduction, from the time the first man grabbed her to the moment she was shoved into the vehicle and her head covered with a black hood, probably took less than ten seconds.

The hood was suffocating as Sarah continued to regain her breath from her hard run, but as they had just arrived at their location, she hoped it was likely to come off soon. Someone had bound her wrists with tape. Her head throbbed a little—there might be a bruise forming at the place where one of the men had carelessly bumped her head as they had shoved her into the van. But she had recovered from the collision. The van stopped and soon rough hands were pulling her from the vehicle and along some kind of path. Since little light pierced the hood's fabric, Sarah assumed the sun was low in the sky. The wind had picked up and the air was cool from a coming storm—Sarah had not noticed the change in the weather when she had run away from Grace.

_Grace._ She had left her partner stuck in a damaged vehicle. _What if Grace had been hurt?_ She claimed not to have been, but perhaps she was in shock.

_And what about Matt?_ He would be beside himself with worry by now, if he knew. He probably did. Sarah could not check the tracking device, as her hands were bound, but she prayed it was still working after the accident.

Her toe stubbed on something and a hand reached out to grab her arm, guiding her up a staircase inside a building. Second floor. They did not climb any higher, and after several more feet of walking, a door opened and Sarah was pushed inside. Stumbling, she righted herself and stood, listening to someone lock the door. So much for having her hood removed. A cold chill ran over her. Unless someone was there with her. She debated within herself for several moments, finally calling out, "Is anyone there?"

Silence met her ears. Uncertain of what or who might be in the room with her, Sarah stood still and waited. Listening for any kind of sounds that might indicate Agency back up or Jamal's people leaving the building, Sarah heard nothing. And there was no one with her. No small sounds of breathing or other movement could be heard.

She did not have to wait for long, however, as the door soon opened. A hand rested on her back familiarly and the hood was removed. As the black fabric lifted away and her eyes were uncovered, Sarah realized she was face to face with Jamal.

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As Matt and Rene reached the building, they ducked into some shrubs and watched for a moment. The van had pulled up to a rear entrance. They signaled to one another. It would be suicide to storm the house at that moment. Jamal's biggest thugs would be just inside. Matt's entire being yearned to go into the building, but they would wait for backup. Everything hinged on not only catching Jamal, but his team as well.

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"You are just as lovely as I remember." Jamal was close—too close. He was practically embracing Sarah as one hand held her arm in a viselike grip and the other stroked her cheek. His mouth hovered at her neck as he spoke in her ear. "Sarah Stetson Granger. Just as lovely as your mother was in her day. She was lovely enough to attract the Scarecrow. No doubt your husband is an agent as well." His lips brushed her throat not just once, but twice as he held her tightly against him.

With her hands bound behind her back, Sarah was helpless. Having Jamal this close to her was revolting. She despised him and his threatening manner. And now she feared for Matt and her parents. It was all she could do to focus on Jamal and devise a means of escape. They were alone in the room, and there was nothing to stop this man from taking advantage of her unless she found a way to fight back. He seemed to sense her fear, as he continued to keep his face close to hers and hold her tightly against his body. It was clear what he wanted, but she prayed fervently he was merely trying to unnerve her. If he would just loosen his hold on her, she could raise a knee...

"You know my parents?" She hoped she sounded casual, when in fact he had succeeded in alarming her.

"I just recently learned about your parents. Your father was quite the ladies' man. And you take after your mother. So lovely." He reached up to stroke her cheek once again, and then ran his hand through her hair. He shifted his feet and started to move her towards the bed. "Too bad your husband broke the rules. I will have to use you to teach him a lesson." With his free hand he unbuckled his belt and pulled it from the loops.

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Matt grew more frantic with each passing minute. His mind kept conjuring up images of Jamal with Sarah. He had to get to her. But Agency cars would be pulling up any moment, and it was imperative they stop anyone from destroying computers and other evidence that could be used against Jamal. While he had overheard talk of Jamal never reaching trial, Matt had stayed out of those conversations. His directive was to get evidence and as many conspirators as possible. Despite his hatred of the man, he had no intention of "taking care" of Jamal.

The sun was low in the sky and a storm was approaching—soon it would be dark both inside and outside the building. Matt was grateful he and Rene had brought night vision goggles on their belts.

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"Is Sarah's tracking device still activated?" Francine was watching the screens, pacing as she did so.

"Yes." Phillip pointed at one of the displays. "You can see it there inside the building. Matt is waiting just outside, hopefully well-hidden."

"And probably champing at the bit."

Phillip pondered the screen a moment. "She isn't moving much. Let's hope that's a good thing." He glanced over at another screen. "We're almost ready. The team is starting to arrive at the site."

"I wish we could talk to them and know exactly when they are assembled in position."

"It would be a dead giveaway. We all agreed radio silence was best."

"I know that," Francine huffed impatiently. "And before you say it, I already know there's no satellite over the area at the moment. We can't even use heat signatures."

"At least not for another five minutes. Remember? There is one coming into range soon."

"Not soon enough for me. I want to know if Jamal has men watching for them." Francine resumed her pacing. They were working blind, but the longer they waited, the greater the danger for Sarah.

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Matt and Rene never heard the cars arrive, but despite the lengthening shadows and the darkening sky, they could see the other agents moving near the house. Since they did not want to give any warning to Jamal and his team, the agents had parked out of sight and were arriving as quickly and quietly as possible, preparing to storm the building as soon as they had taken their positions.

After exchanging signals with one another to confirm their plan, Matt and Rene watched as Gonzales silently signaled to his team.

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"Sir?"

Jamal cursed into his phone. He set the belt down and in one swift motion covered Sarah's head with the hood. She was blind now—he knew it would prevent her from being able to fight him easily while he was distracted.

He stepped away. "What is it? I'm busy."

Sarah could still hear the woman on the other end of the conversation. "We have a couple of pings in the area. Some kind of GPS devices, perhaps. One seems to be coming from inside this building."

"I'll take care of it." Sarah heard his footstep once again as the call ended.

Sarah felt the sting of the belt through her suit jacket. It would not leave a bruise, but it caught her off guard.

"Where is it, Sarah? Where is your wire? If you tell me now, it won't hurt too much."

She tried to turn towards the sound of his voice, but he must have been circling her. The belt lashed out again, once again striking her torso. The jacket still padded the blow.

"The next one will hurt. Tell me now."

It was a gamble. If she told Jamal where the tracking device was, it might not matter. Hopefully someone was already outside, waiting for a team to raid the building. She prayed it was Matt. If she played along with Jamal, he might lower his defenses. "My button. On my shirt. At the collar."

"Very good. We will just have to remove it. I can't allow any little devices in my house." His voice was silky as he neared her once again. She could feel his presence as he drew close against her side once again and held her tightly. It was an effective technique. She had been disoriented as his voice moved about the room. Now she could not defend herself.

But he did not immediately remove the device. She stiffened as he first pulled her jacket halfway off of her so she was further hampered by the sleeves. Next he grasped her tightly and pulled the collar button from her shirt. But he did not stop there. He reached for the next button on her blouse.

Sarah fought him this time. She tried to stomp on his instep, but he laughed and shifted his feet. She heard a small snapping noise and imagined the tracking device had been destroyed. She made another attempt to stomp on his foot, but he shifted and chuckled once more.

"It's pointless, Sarah. Remember the belt." He released her and she stumbled across the room as the belt lashed out, the buckle just striking her elbow. The sleeves of her jacket, now doubled over at the elbows, padded her, but she cried out anyway. Perhaps if he thought he had actually hurt her…

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"We've lost Sarah's signal." Phillip's voice was devoid of emotion as he fought to remain professional, but he got up and stood behind the technical assistant who would be bringing up the satellite imagery. "Anything yet?"

"Two minutes out, sir."

After noting the coordinates of Jamal's headquarters, Jamie sat down at the adjoining station. "Let me give it a go." He typed in some commands and fiddled with the controls of the equipment in front of him as he spoke. "Put my computer on one of the displays. I've got something."

The image was fuzzy, but the heat signatures were evident. Bodies massed near a structure. As the image continued to improve, a lone heat signature, then a second one near it, became visible to the observers in the bullpen.

"That might be Matt and Rene." Phillip's eyes were riveted to the display. "Can we get any images from the house yet?"

"Hold on. The satellite is almost close enough to pick them up."

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Outside the house, Matt and Rene were ready to move any second. They were waiting for the go ahead from Manny Gonzales, who was directing this team.

Matt glanced at Rene. His partner was waiting, just like he was, with one knee on the ground, ready to sprint away at a moment's notice. Using hand signals, they had already worked out their plan of action. A fine rain was starting to fall, and the temperature was dropping. But Matt did not notice the chill as he listened carefully for the sound.

The soft call of an owl repeated itself three times. Both men were on the move at once, heading straight for the door nearest them.

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"Now, we can't have you running around the room blind like that. You could fall and hurt yourself."

Ignoring Jamal, Sarah moved as far from his voice as she could manage. She did not want to be blind either, but the hood was stuck in her hair and would not shake loose. The tape binding her wrists was too tight and she could not move her hands to work it loose.

The belt struck her knee cap and although it only smarted, she cried out as if she was in real pain. He struck her other knee cap and she stumbled backwards as if she were retreating in terror, striking the wall painfully with her shoulder. This time the cry of pain was genuine.

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Matt heard the thump from upstairs and the faint sound of someone crying out. He could not be certain, but he thought it was Sarah. Before he could make his way more than five feet down the hallway, a volley of bullets shattered the window in the wall across from him. He recoiled to avoid any flying glass and wondered if the rest of the team was making better progress.

The other agents had stormed the front and side entrances of the house, hoping to catch Jamal's team off guard. Matt could hear shots being fired, but other sounds told him that men had been hit inside the building.

He moved forward again, lifted his automatic weapon to his shoulder, and sprayed the doorway nearby. A body crashed into furniture and knocked something over inside the room. He signaled to Rene and the two moved past the window towards the stairs.

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"There—see them? Our men are streaming into the house from the front and back, but there, in the rear of the building."

Francine stared in the direction of Jamie's pointing finger at the heat signatures on the satellite image. A few were faint. "Okay, I see the faint ones—probably on the first floor. Two of them must be Matt and Rene."

Peering at the screen, too, Phillip joined in. "Well, they look like they have some company." He gestured to another figure. They could see gunfire being exchanged and the isolated figure stopped moving. "Well, maybe not anymore."

Francine glanced at Phillip, her expression grim. "I'm more worried about your sister. That must be her in the upstairs room. None of our men could have made it up there yet. And she's not alone." The three watched in silence as the rest of Phillip's team exchanged communications with Gonzales' men.

One of the heat signatures was moving along the outside wall of the house, while the other stood nearby. Francine nervously placed her hand on her hip, but she could not tear herself away from the screen to pace.

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Sarah stilled at the sound of gunshots, uncertain if she should crouch down or make a wild attempt to disable Jamal and distract him. The Agency was probably there now, and she did not want Jamal making a sudden decision to kill her or go help his team. She had already bought some time, but she knew Jamal would soon tire of chasing her with the belt.

Before she could react, Jamal jerked her painfully to her feet, her shoulder screaming at her in protest. Her head was spinning and there was a roaring in her ears, but she was just able to make out Jamal's words. "…can't be having company. You're coming with me."

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Matt was making miserably slow progress to the staircase. Gonzales and his men had apparently stormed the operations room in the basement, but someone was guarding the house from above. He had heard noises—there was a struggle in the room upstairs at the back of the house. But as he moved towards the stairs, the sounds were harder to make out. There was too much noise coming from the basement.

Wanting to remain silent, he pulled his knife from its sheath. Perhaps if he could avoid firing his gun, they could keep Jamal from acting rashly.

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While they were watching the movements of two people they believed to be Sarah and Jamal, the two suddenly disappeared. "Where the hell did they go? Phillip! Jamie! Where is your sister?" It was Francine's turn to become frantic.

"Get Granger and Enriquez on the phone. Send someone from Gonzales' team for backup. They need to get to that room now."

After fiddling with the settings for the image, Jamie sat back in resignation and looked on helplessly. "Their heat signatures are just gone. There must be some kind of passage out of that upstairs room. The walls are made of something that blocks the satellite."

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Sarah heard the click of a lock or some kind of latch and a heavy scraping sound—wood on wood. Jamal yanked her by the arm and soon the light that showed through her hood was replaced with pitch black darkness. The scraping sound came again and a latch clicked. The hood was snatched from her head, revealing murky darkness. They were in some sort of passageway.

"You're no good to me if you fall down these stairs. Come on." Jamal was pushing her ahead of him towards a stairwell. Sarah hesitated, but his voice was in her ear, still silky. "You will cooperate, or I'll let you fall down these stairs after all."

Sarah moved down the stairs. She could not turn and try to kick at the man—he was too close and he was always a step above her. Soon they reached the bottom. Now Jamal grasped her arm and kept her close to him as they stumbled along a dark passage, lit only by an occasional bulb. The concrete floor was damp and streaks of water glistened on the cinderblock walls. The recent rains and melted snow had revealed leaks in this tunnel. Just as Sarah wondered who could have constructed it, Jamal answered her unspoken question.

"This was a gang hideout. I took it over from a drug lord."

"They don't exactly sell their real estate holdings."

"I didn't say they did."

Sarah wondered how Jamal managed to stay alive, if he was making enemies with drug lords at the same time as holding a top spot on the most wanted lists of several intelligence agencies across the globe. Thinking it would be unwise to provoke her captor, she remained silent.

After a few hundred feet they came to another set of stairs. This time Jamal went first, hauling Sarah roughly up the two flights by her good arm. She was grateful for that small mercy and remembered to offer up another silent prayer. Noting that Jamal had dropped the hood and the belt, she began planning a way to overpower the man at the earliest opportunity.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Jamal switched off the lights and dragged her through a doorway.

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"Where is she?" Francine had asked the question several times over the last few minutes, and no one had been able to answer her. Sarah, or at least the heat signature that they had been thinking was her, had disappeared along with Jamal.

"Phillip. Do you remember the other safe house—the one Sarah took photos of during surveillance? It's across the street." Jamie was fiddling with the controls for the satellite image.

Regarding him for only a brief moment, Phillip answered quickly, "Yes, I do." He peered at the display. The house across the street was dark. He continued staring at it for a moment, until two faint red images appeared and gradually became brighter. "There they are! They've gone across the street." He tapped his mic. "Granger! What's your position?"

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Black spots danced before Sarah's eyes. Although she was exhausted, she still had her wits about her. She stumbled across the floor in the darkened house and almost fell onto a couch. A streetlamp outside was the only source of light as light rain spattered the windows.

Sarah knew that Jamal thought he had the upper hand, since they were alone in the house and the agents were fighting his team across the street. _Well, he does not have the upper hand with me._ She fell onto the couch and rolled to her back.

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Perhaps it was instinctive, or from a divine source, but something urged Matt to turn towards Rene instead of running madly up the remaining stairs to help his wife. "Behind you!" Bending to a crouching position, Matt took aim, but before he could throw his knife past Rene, someone fired a gun and the shooter fell forward, sprawled at the foot of the stairs. Unsure of who had fired that shot, Matt scrambled up the last few stairs and dove out of sight of the landing. Thankfully Rene had not bothered to fire his gun, but threw himself up the last few stairs as well. They waited, their guns pointed at the staircase.

Almost immediately, Ryan Johnson appeared at the foot of the stairs. "All clear."

"Granger, can you hear me?"

Matt tapped his Bluetooth. "Granger here."

"I've been trying to reach you."

"We've been a little busy. Tell me where to find Sarah, Phillip."

"Sarah is in the house across the street."

Matt shot Rene a panicked look. Rene had heard the news, too. He jumped in. "Johnson just gave us the all clear for this end of the house, but the front is not secured. Get someone over there right away."

"We're working on that. But honestly, you're the closest."

"What are you talking about?" Matt started for the stairs. "We're stuck on the second floor of the wrong house."

"He has some sort of passageway from the upstairs room at the back of the house to the house across the street."

Matt stopped and stared at Rene. The second safe house. It all made sense now.


	15. Chapter 15

Written by Scooplet

Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet

Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.

I Know He Watches Me, Part One

Chapter Fifteen

"This is more like it, my dear." Jamal was practically on top of her, his grin menacing and his intentions obvious. It was a risk. Jamal could overpower her, and she did not want to think of what he would do then. Judging by the gunfire across the street, she was lucky he had not already killed her and made a run for it. He reached for the front of her blouse, but Sarah did not give him a chance to touch her.

With all of her strength, she brought her knee up to Jamal's groin, doubling him over with pain. She waited, knowing that he would be all the more angry and come at her again. Indeed, he soon straightened, his face purple with rage. He moved toward her, one hand protecting himself. Sarah quickly kicked the hand away with her left foot and at the same time she struck his groin hard with the heel of her right boot. He screamed and fell to the floor, writhing in agony. Seeing that he was disabled, she rolled away, swung her feet off of the couch, and stood, painfully shrugging the jacket back onto her shoulders as she did.

If only she could get her hands in front of her. But they had bound her wrists too tightly to try to squeeze her arms around her legs and to her front.

Jamal lay groaning on the floor, but it would not be long before he was after her again. She kicked Jamal several times, aiming at his ribs, kidneys, and head. She was strong for her size, but she knew she could not cause him any real injury. However, he was definitely in pain, and would react like a wounded animal if he was able to get to his feet. She needed to make sure he would not follow her back down the passageway.

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Kicking powerfully at the door, Matt heard it shudder. It flew violently inward after the second kick. The rifle at his shoulder, he pointed it into the room and peered cautiously inside, listening. Except for the noise from the agents in the basement of the house, he heard nothing. Looking around the room, he could see no obvious exit besides the one where he stood.

"Where's the entrance to this passageway, Phillip?" Matt felt his professional demeanor unraveling. He had been on countless operations and never lost his cool under pressure. But this was different. Where was Sarah? What had Jamal done with her? What had happened in this room? His eyes went to the belt lying discarded on the floor.

"Matt." Rene shook Matt's shoulder, helping him refocus. "Let's look for a door. One could be hidden in this paneling—feel along the chair rail."

Phillip's voice came over the Bluetooth. "Look around for a door or something. There was a back way out of the room—probably where the closet once was."

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Jamal would not budge. He was deadweight, possibly having blacked out. Fighting more dizziness, Sarah pushed him with her boot one more time, but she lost her balance, falling onto the couch. A stabbing pain shot through her shoulder and upper body, but fearful of rousing Jamal, she bit her lip and did not cry out. She lay still, waiting for the pain to ebb and her dizziness to go away. Her shoulder was probably not severely hurt, but the position of her hands, bound behind her back, was aggravating her old injury. The dizziness worried her. She sent up a wordless prayer for the baby in her womb as she lay there, recovering.

After a moment, she stood and this time, managed to push Jamal up against the wall. Then she ran around the couch and shoving as hard as she could, slammed it against the wall so Jamal would be stuck behind it. If he did fully regain consciousness, he would have trouble moving at first.

Running back to the passageway door, Sarah turned her back to it and frantically fumbled with the latch. She was about to give up and attempt to move it with her teeth when she felt it suddenly release. She stumbled backward into the dimly lit passageway as the door closed after her.

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"Search the inside walls, man. There's probably some sort of latch." As Matt felt along the chair rail, trying to find a break in the wall's paneling, Rene did the same.

"Take it easy, Granger." Ryan Johnson attempted to offer some kind of consolation to Matt as he helped search for the door. "Phillip will probably send a team across the street any time now."

Matt ignored the other men, trying to calm himself. He said another prayer, desperate this time. Precious minutes were ticking past, and they still had not found a door.

"Here it is!"

Matt could have kicked himself. "I was just checking that part of the wall."

While Ryan updated the bullpen, Rene opened the latch. Once the door was open, he stepped back and gestured to Matt. "You take the lead."

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Sarah heard her own sharp intake of breath as the door clicked shut. The steps in the passageway were impossible to see now. Jamal had turned out the lights, but she had no idea where the switch was. She felt along the wall, but there was no switch. Where had it been? She heard a moan on the other side of the door. There was no time to waste. After saying another quick prayer, she shuffled her feet slowly away from the door, leaning against the wall so her hands could guide her. After a few feet she found the steps and slowly felt her way down them, hanging tenuously to the railing with her encumbered hands.

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Matt and Rene positioned themselves on either side of the door, their guns drawn. Once the door's latch had released, Matt slowly pushed it open. Unsure who might be on the other side, he aimed his mirror through the doorway.

No one was there. They opened the door wide, and as the light from the room shown into the passageway, Matt noted a black cloth on the floor. As he picked it up and examined it, he detected the unmistakable scent of his wife's shampoo.

"It's a hood," Johnson offered.

"Yeah, and Sarah was wearing it—I can smell her perfume. Come on." Matt pulled his night vision goggles down over his eyes and raised his rifle to his shoulder once again. Rene and Ryan followed suit, each man stepping silently down the staircase.

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Step by step, Sarah made her way down the staircase. Grateful for her flats, she curled her foot over the edge of each stair, carefully checking for the next step. When she tried to hold onto the railing, the duct tape bit mercilessly into her skin. After a few stairs, she stopped gripping the railing and simply used her hands for balance. Tension radiated throughout her body as she concentrated on keeping herself upright.

Coming to the landing, she stumbled and almost fell headlong down the next flight, but she righted herself and shuffled to the edge of the next stair. Soon she was inching her way down again.

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"Did you hear that?" Rene whispered in Matt's ear. "There's someone out there."

"It's pitch dark in here," Ryan joined in, his voice also a whisper. "Let's hope they don't have night vision glasses. We'll have the upper hand."

"Or they could have a flashlight and blind us," Matt warned, his voice low. "Silence and hand signals now. We don't know who it is."

"Granger, the team in the house is making enough noise to cover us."

Matt imagined Ryan was rolling his eyes behind his goggles. However, he had been in similar situations in Afghanistan. They could not take any chances. "We don't know that. Shhh."

The stairs ended and soon the men were making their way down the damp passageway. They quickened their steps on the flat surface.

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The staircase had seemed interminable, but finally Sarah reached the bottom. Her shoulder throbbed now, and she paused to lean against the wall. Moisture seeped through her jacket and blouse, chilling her, but the cramp in her back and shoulder eased. Now that she was on flat ground, the tension in her body began to subside as well. She listened for sounds from the house above her, but it was silent.

Ahead of her, she heard the muffled sounds of the team of agents that had invaded Jamal's headquarters. But another noise that seemed much closer reached her ears. It was a man's voice, hushed, but clearly not on the other side of the wall.

Perhaps it was someone from the Agency who was actually looking for her. Or perhaps it was one of Jamal's men. Maybe some of them had made it to the passageway. She could not risk being caught. But there was nowhere to hide.

The staircase. It was not much of a hiding place, but she could not go back to the house. If Jamal's men were coming, they would find her there. Worse, they would see what she had done to their leader.

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Matt imagined that they must be drawing close to the other safe house. He signaled to the others to slow their steps. They kept their rifles poised at their shoulders, ready to shoot anyone who came into sight. But the long tunnel was empty. A set of stairs loomed in the darkness.

He came to a complete stop, Rene and Ryan just behind him. Holding up a hand, he listened carefully. He could not hear anything at first, but he sensed someone was there. The sounds from the other house had diminished. Perhaps he could hear something if he waited. He froze in place and peered into the darkness. There was no one on the stairs. But it was growing silent in the subterranean corridor. Most of Jamal's team had probably been taken from the house. Now the clean-up crew was probably doing their job, carefully dismantling the equipment.

Johnson moved impatiently, but Rene stilled him.

Several more seconds went by, and Matt knew that he was being foolish. If Jamal had Sarah, he could be doing anything to her at that moment. Perhaps he was loading her into a car and taking her away, or perhaps… He stopped the thought as soon as it entered his mind and listened again. He would make certain no one was there, and then enter the house as soon as they could get up the stairs.

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She could not see them in the dark, but they could not see her, either—at least they acted as if they could not. But they were listening. Sarah held her breath. _Oh, please just go up the stairs._ Perhaps they would turn on a light and be her rescuers. Or perhaps they would go inside in the house and she could run to safety. She would not walk slowly this time.

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Matt knew that he had to move forward. Jamal was too cocky to wait this long, doing nothing. If Sarah was in the tunnel, she had to be alone. Signaling to Rene and Ryan, he began taking cautious steps, hoping that the goggles would pick up a human form in the inky blackness under the stairs.

He was almost touching the railing with his elbow when he saw her. He could not make out Sarah's face, but he knew it was her. What he saw made him want to cry, but he knew that was not what his wife needed.

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Despite her silence, Sarah knew that the men had seen her—or at least heard her. She drew back, waiting to see what they would do as she heard them approach quietly. If only they would say something. The suspense was unbearable.

Then the lead man came around the stairs. She felt his presence more than saw him. Perhaps it was the faint scent of his after shave—or just the fact that he was her husband—but she was certain of who it was. Immediately she felt the tension leave her.

"Matt."

"Sarah."

They spoke simultaneously, and then he was setting his rifle on the floor as his wife was throwing herself awkwardly at him. He straightened just in time to catch her in his arms, gathering her closely against him. "Oh, thank God I found you," he breathed in her ear.

"Sarah, where's Jamal?" Rene kept his voice low.

In answer, Sarah pointed with her chin up the stairs, whispering, "Look behind the couch."

Ryan and Rene exchanged glances and then rushed silently up the stairs, their guns at the ready.

Taking off his goggles, Matt flipped on a flashlight and shone it briefly on Sarah. Reaching for his phone, he began to take photos of her. "I'm sorry, honey. But I have to do this for the report."

"It's okay." Sarah's voice wavered a little as she stood still for Matt.

Pulling his multi-tool from its sheath, he gingerly snipped the tape on Sarah's wrists. His gut clenched when he realized how tightly Sarah had been bound, but he did not say anything to her. Noting the blood on the tape, he left in place, unsure how to remove it without injuring her further.

With her hands free, Sarah was already feeling better. Her shoulders still ached and her muscles were still cramped, but Matt was with her and she knew it was all over. She reached up to hug Matt's neck. "Please just hold me for a moment."

"You don't have to ask." He gathered her close again, relishing the feel of her body against his. She was safe in his arms and Jamal was apparently disabled in the house above them. But as he buried his face in her hair, he did not pick up the fragrance of roses that he had expected—the scent he had detected in the hood they had recovered from the other house. Instead, her hair smelled like a man's after shave. Not his after shave.

He had to know. "Did anyone…did he hurt you?" His hands skimmed over her, noting that despite her disheveled appearance, her clothing, damp from the tunnel, was in place.

"No." Her answer was firm, but he pulled away so he could look in her eyes. The flashlight cast strange shadows on her face, but he could see that she was not hiding anything from him. He placed his hands on her upper arms, and she flinched. At his expression, she clarified, "He talked about doing things to me, but he never got the chance."

Matt uttered an oath under his breath and looking down, shuddered unwillingly. Capturing Jamal was a great breakthrough. But at what cost to his wife or to their unborn child? It had been too close of a call.

Sarah angled her head so she could gain her husband's full attention. "Matt. He never got the chance. I kneed him and kicked him where it counts. He was no longer in the mood by the time I shoved the couch up against him."

"Your arms are sore." He did not say anything about the baby, keeping his anxiety to himself.

"He might have left a couple of bruises, but I think I did more damage to him."

"I hope you're right."

The lights came on and boots could be heard on the stairs above them. It was Rene, and he was no longer trying to be stealthy. "Matt, Sarah. We have Jamal cuffed. You can come on up when you're ready." Rene descended a few more steps and peered over the edge. "I'm impressed, ma'am. You did a number on the jerk." He cast an unreadable expression towards Matt before going back up the stairs.

Reluctantly, Matt released his wife and picked up the rifle before taking Sarah's hand and leading her to the stairs. As they began climbing, Sarah swayed and grabbed for the railing.

Matt caught her with his free arm. "Maybe I should carry you."

"No. Please let me walk up on my own. I don't need your buddies to see me like that."

"But you can hardly walk."

"I'm just exhausted and I probably need to eat."

"Well, at least let me help you." Wrapping his free arm around her waist, Matt supported Sarah the rest of the way up the stairs.

They were nearly at the top when Sarah felt woozy again. "Oh, I don't feel so good." She began to sway, but Matt stopped and held her tightly against him.

In a hushed voice, Matt responded, "It's all this stress on top of the baby…"

Matt's words were cut off by his partner. "Baby?" Rene appeared in the doorway, his eyes as round as saucers. "You two are pregnant?" He stared at Matt accusingly. "Geez, buddy. When were you going to tell me?"

Matt rolled his eyes at his own blunder and hissed, "Not now, Rene. People can hear you. She's only six weeks along."

"Johnson's too busy talking to the NSA peeps. They want to take Jamal in. They already have that guy who impersonated Tarbet. Johnson's got Francine on the line. It's a mess."

"NSA is here?"

"Yep. They were our back up over here." Rene peered at Sarah. "Look, chiquita, you need to sit down. I've seen that face before. I might have something that will help in my pack."

Rene guided them into a kitchen where a few folding chairs had been set up. Sarah could hear Francine's voice coming over a speakerphone and the responding voice of a man—perhaps one of the NSA agents. At least she could not hear Jamal's voice and she would not have to see him again.

Matt sat down close beside Sarah and took the bottle of water and protein bar that Rene offered her. She did not have the energy to protest his hovering. In fact, her hands were trembling and her wrists were sore, so she was glad she did not have to twist the cap off the bottle or open the packaging for the snack.

But Matt was not satisfied with merely helping Sarah eat a snack and drink some water. "Rene. Are there any paramedics on site?"

"Yeah." He regarded Sarah for a moment, his eyes eventually resting on her wrists, and then glanced at Matt meaningfully. "I'll go get them."

"No. Please don't…" Sarah knew her protest was feeble. Both Matt and Rene would not leave her alone until she talked to a paramedic, so it was probably best to accept their assistance.

Once they were alone, Matt tentatively stroked her hair, helping her smooth it down. "Jamal's lucky I was more worried about helping you."

"Jamal was pretty brutal, but it could have been much worse. As usual, you came just in time."

"No, Sarah. You were the one who fought back. Although, if I had been here sooner, you might not be hurting so much right now."

"Trust me, Jamal is hurting worse."

"Thank God you were able to fight back."

"Sparrow." She closed her eyes, but the trembling that had started in her hands had spread to her entire body.

"That's right." Matt removed his jacket and wrapped it around his wife. "Hang on, honey."

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Sarah still was not sure how they had managed it; she had been assessed and released by the Agency doctor without her pregnancy being discovered. The paramedics at the safe house had been able to do little beyond urging her to lie down on a gurney for a short time. Matt had said it was a miracle that there seemed to be no lasting effects from the truck ramming Sarah and Grace that afternoon. Sarah knew he had been anxious after hearing that Grace had wondered if Sarah had sustained a head injury.

The protein bar had helped Sarah feel well enough to walk to Rene's car for the ride to the Agency. The Agency's Dr. Fitzgerald checked her for symptoms of a concussion and tsk-tsked over Sarah's shoulder, but by the time he saw her, the pain had mostly diminished. Once again she was told to rest the shoulder and avoid any strain on it. She wondered if the look of relief on Matt's face was for her relative lack of injuries or the fact that only Rene had learned of her pregnancy that day.

The nurse on duty removed the duct tape using some kind of lubricant. The cuts were minor, but she used a gentle touch as she washed the area and applied a dressing to one of the worst abrasions.

While she was waiting to be released, Rene had shown up at the infirmary with another snack bar and more water for Sarah. At Matt's surprised expression, he only said, "It's long past dinner." When he handed her the snack, he leaned in and said, "Can't have you getting a bout of morning sickness while you're here."

Then he had turned on his heel and headed back the way he had come, claiming, "I covered for you at the debriefing, man."

"You can't 'cover' for me, Enriquez," Matt had to shout after him.

Rene stopped and walked backwards as he talked. "Well, since I went first, you might not have to talk as long."

Fortunately, they were debriefed at the same time in separate rooms, so an hour and a half later Sarah found herself waiting in the hallway as Matt finished his session. It was there that Lee and Amanda, escorted by a security guard, found her. The security guard did not stay, and Sarah was grateful. Her father was holding two bags in his hand and Sarah caught the aroma of ginger chicken. The second granola bar had long since done its work. Now Sarah was so hungry she was nauseous. "Oh, you remembered."

"Your father never forgets details. When we heard you were in debriefing, he called in the order at that Japanese restaurant you like and hustled us out of the house so we could be here when you were done." Amanda sat down next to her daughter, examining her wrist surreptitiously as she took her hand. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Tired as she was, Sarah was aware of her father, his eyes narrowed, watching her and waiting for her response. She needed to put their minds at rest. "I'm fine. He was disgusting, but I got away from him before anything could happen. Thankfully he wasn't able to go anywhere before the agents could take care of him."

Lee and Amanda's eyes met and Lee took a seat next to Sarah. He opened the bag and took out napkins, chopsticks, and a food container. "You should eat this, Pumpkin. When your mother was—" He glanced up at one of the cameras in the hallway and seemed to decide not to mention Sarah's expectant condition out loud. "Your mother practically fainted on me a couple of times back in the day, and you look a little washed out right now."

Having no trouble interpreting her father's meaning, Sarah smiled ruefully. But it was comforting to have her parents there taking care of her, and Sarah felt some of the tension ease as she took small bites of first the rice, then the chicken.

"Francine didn't have much time to talk, but she told us you gave Jamal a bit of a beating." Lee's eyes were on Sarah, but then he turned to gaze at the wall. "She said he gave you a few bruises, too."

"I suppose it has to be in the report. They aren't bad, Daddy. I guess you probably can't tell me what happened to him. There were NSA agents."

Lee turned back to Sarah. "You know we aren't cleared for that information now."

"I also know you, Daddy. If you don't know at the moment, you'll find out what happened to Jamal."

He laughed a little and eyed Amanda as Sarah bent her head to take another bite.

"Well, if it isn't Lara Croft."

All three of them looked up simultaneously to see Phillip approaching with a grin on his face.

"Um, I'm not sure I'd make that comparison, but thanks anyway, Phillip."

"Sure you could. From what I hear, you kicked Jamal's bootie."

"It was all adrenaline."

"Look, I'm not sure who Lara Croft is, but I'm just glad Sarah is in one piece." Amanda patted Sarah's knee.

"I heard you and Jamie are responsible for helping find her." Lee regarded Phillip with approval. Sarah saw gratefulness in his expression, too.

"Well, Matt and Rene had to do the dirty work—I guess Johnson backed them up."

"Still, nice job, son. Speaking of Jamie, where is he?"

"He's still working on follow up. Might be an all-nighter, the way things are going." Phillip walked over to the camera that was fixed on the wall above his head. He reached up and fiddled with it for a moment before turning back to the group, smiling. "There. Now we can talk freely."

Staring at her brother, Sarah knew instinctively that he had been evasive. Her parents probably knew why. Now that they were not being monitored, she planned to find out exactly what was going on. "Where is Jamal right now?" 

Phillip glanced away, avoiding her gaze. "Oh, probably in lock-up."

"NSA lock-up? Phillip, tell me where he is."

After hesitating for a moment, Phillip grabbed a chair, swung it around, and straddling it, sat down backwards on the chair so he could face Sarah. He placed his elbows on the chair back and leaned toward the three of them. "Look, I shouldn't be telling you this, but it will come out eventually. Jamal has disappeared. Jamie is doing his best to get all the details, but he only knows the bare facts for now. He and Francine are…"

Before Phillip could finish, he was interrupted by a hushed, but angry voice. "What the hell? Jamal disappeared? NSA had him. Sarah risked her life to get the creep in custody." While Phillip had been speaking, a weary-looking Matt had emerged from the debriefing room. Now he was livid, his gray eyes blazing an almost blue color.

Turning towards Matt, Phillip put out his hand in a calming gesture. "Hang on, Granger. He's still in custody. But we don't know exactly who has him. NSA appears to have passed him off. Johnson was supposed to stick to him like glue, but NSA blocked his access to Jamal. By the time Francine could intervene, he was no longer at the facility where he and Johnson had originally gone. Francine was pretty steamed, too. She tried to reach Gil Barclay, but it took a while. Then he gave her really vague answers and told her to call Johnson back to the Agency.

Lee and Amanda had been staring at each other while Phillip related the details. Sarah guessed that this was news to them, too. She did not have to wait long to find out for certain. She watched as her father stood and began pacing.

"This is what I was afraid of. There are a handful of intelligence agencies who have been looking for Jamal since long before your mother and I retired. He was on a list. More than one of these agencies—at least the American ones—will be happy to use Sarah's abduction as further defense for their actions."

Matt had been listening silently, but now he broke in. He spoke tiredly. "As in, we won't have to worry about Jamal again—if we ever hear what happened to him."

Seeing that Matt was no longer ready to rage against him again, Phillip relaxed in his seat. "My guess is that it was the Brits. But don't bother asking Emily Farnsworth who it was. This was probably handled at the topmost level. We aren't even supposed to know that the people who were asked to take care of the guy exist."

"Oh, I think Emily will know what happened, despite what you're saying. I'll be on the phone with her first thing in the morning."

"I just wish we knew for certain what had happened to him." Amanda watched Matt as he took Lee's seat and wrapped an arm around Sarah.

Lee stopped his pacing and stood by Amanda, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll make it my goal to find out." He gestured towards Phillip, Matt, and Sarah.

"I don't doubt you will, Lee. For now, I'm going home to my wife and daughter, although I doubt Jessica is still up." Phillip reached down and touched Sarah's arm. "I'm glad you're safe and sound, Sis. I listened in on enough of the debriefing to hear how things went down. I'm really proud of you."

Surprised by the uncharacteristic display coming from her brother, Sarah almost could not respond. But she managed, "Thanks, Phillip. I know you and Jamie helped Matt and the others find me."

"You were the one who disabled Jamal. We were just doing what we always do." He grew sober. "But Jamie and I agree that despite your boss operative skills, we'd rather you worked in Analysis. It was a close call tonight." To ease the tension, he smiled and leaned first towards Sarah and then towards Amanda, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek. "Hopefully we'll see everyone at our house on Sunday." He turned to the camera on the wall and fiddled with it once again. He turned back to the little group huddled on the chairs. "Funny how that camera went on the blink just as I showed up here."

After he had walked off, Matt turned to the others. "Just like that, we're back to the family get-togethers?"

"Just like that." Lee smirked. "Welcome to the world of mixing spooks with family."

Matt smiled vaguely at his in-laws, but expression did not reach his eyes. "Hey, Lee. Hey, Amanda. I see you've taken care of Sarah." He turned to her. "You look better, sweetie."

Lee held out a bag to Matt. "I have a cheeseburger in this bag with your name on it, son. But it might be a little cold now. Sorry."

"Oh, this will hit the spot. Thanks." Settling into the chair, Matt leaned over to kiss Sarah on her cheek before taking a burger from the bag.

"Are you two released to go home?" Amanda grinned a little as she watched Matt demolish his food. She leaned around Sarah to get his attention. "There's a second burger in there."

Now Matt's grin was genuine. "You get the prize for best mother-in-law ever." After reaching in the bag for the second burger, Matt replied, "In answer to your question, yes. Francine says she wants us here at nine a.m. Let's hope Richard Wong doesn't call and wonder where Sarah is, because we're not coming in sooner." He smiled sheepishly. "And thanks for the burgers. I think Sarah was hungry, too." He stared down at the empty food container in her hand.

Lee took the container from Sarah and watched as her head slowly drooped. He turned to Matt. "It looks like you better take her home now, or she'll have to sleep here tonight."

Soon the four of them were making their way to the parking garage. Matt's arm was wrapped around Sarah, who leaned heavily on him as they walked. He had helped her into her seat and was about to shut the door when Lee stopped him. "Listen, Sarah—both of you—I'm probably the last person who would normally say this, but I think you should make an appointment with Kirby. What you went through today, Sarah… Well, it was your first time on a tough case and you're still a freshman agent. It might hit you like a ton of bricks at some point."

"I'm still numb, Daddy."

"And you're tired, sweetheart," Amanda chimed in.

"It was really good of you both to come see me and to bring us dinner."

"I guess it's a good thing Jamie didn't call us until it was over," Amanda rejoined.

"I'm glad he was able to find me."

"He said it was your surveillance work that helped him."

Sarah tried to answer, but she interrupted herself with a yawn.

"I'll let you two get home and get to bed." Lee shut the door to the car as Matt walked around to the driver's door.

"Thanks for the burgers, Lee and Amanda. And thanks for being there tonight."

"Good night, Matt." Amanda regarded her son-in-law fondly. "I'm glad you're both safe."

Lee glanced at Amanda and responded gruffly, "We wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else tonight. We're proud of you both."

**End of Part One**

**Part Two coming soon!**


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